Alookof  ZSOHiipflil  Hints. 

Edited  buUN. Matt, 


BERKELEY 

3ENERAL 
LIBRARY 

UNIVIRSITY    Of 
CAUFORNIA 


er 


KINKS 

uiiiuuiiiiiiuiiiuiiiuiiiiiiiiiuniiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiM 

A  Book  of  250  Helpful  Hints 

for  Hunters,  Anglers 

and  Outers 


Edited  by 

HARRY  N.  KATZ 

Kink  Editor,  Outer's  Book 


WITH  zi4  ILLUSTRATIONS 


PUBLISHED  BY 

THE  OUTER'S  BOOK  COMPANY 
CHICAGO 

IQI7 


niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinniiiHiiimMiHi 


COPYRIGHTED,  1917 
By  THE  OUTER'S  BOOK  COMPANY 


Press  of  tba  Blakaly  Printing  Go. ,  Chicago 


FOREWORD 


O  INCE  time  immemorial  it  has  been  the  custom  of  publishers  to 
preface  their  books  with  some  sort  of  a  foreword.  This  first 
edition  of  the  Kink  Book  needs  but  little  in  the  way  of  introduction. 
A  single  glance  at  the  text  pages  will  be  sufficient  introduction  for  any 
sportsman,  and  it  is  for  those  who  indeed  possess  the  sporting  spirit  of 
fair  play  that  this  book  is  intended.  To  appropriate  a  phrase  from  the 
Father  of  Angling,  "It  is  too  good  for  ought  but  honest  men." 

The  many  who  have  followed  the  Kink  Column  from  month  to 
month  in  OUTER'S  BOOK  will  require  no  explanation  of  the  purpose  of 
this  book.  Others,  however,  may  be  sufficiently  interested  over  its 
inception  and  development  to  make  worth  while  a  few  words  in  that 
direction. 

A  distinguishing  mark  of  the  true  sportsman  is  his  constant  readi- 
ness to  give  freely  to  his  brothers  in  sport  the  benefit  of  his  knowledge 
and  experience.  Naturally  the  spreading  of  information  by  word  of 
mouth  is  far  too  slow  for  the  up-to-date  American  outdoorsman,  and 
matters  of  major  importance  soon  find  expression  through  the  pages  of 
the  various  sportsman's  magazines.  But  a  vast  number  of  small  per- 
sonal tricks  and  practices  have  heretofore  obtained  but  little  publicity 
in  this  way.  Individually  they  are  scarcely  important  enough  to  serve 
as  the  basis  of  a  regulation  magazine  article,  and  their  originators, 
moreover,  are  often  too  modest  or  too  unskilled  with  the  pen  to 
attempt  anything  so  ambitious. 

It  was  to  encourage  the  offering  of  these  smaller  items,  therefore, 
that  the  Kink  column  was  started  in  OUTER'S  BOOK  in  March,  1915. 

M842126 


The  choice  of  the  name  "Kink"  is  almost  self-explanatory.  We  antici- 
pated that  the  column  would  be  interesting,  but  there  was  little  advance 
appreciation  of  the  great  popularity  of  the  movement  and  the  very  large 
store  of  valuable  information  that  it  has  opened  up. 

From  the  very  beginning  constant  suggestions  were  received  from 
readers  for  the  publication  of  "Kinks"  in  book  form,  and  with  this 
volume  the  call  is  met.  No  claim  is  made  that  this  book  is  either  com- 
plete or  authoritative.  It  is  merely  a  collection  of  several  hundred 
random  facts,  each  vouched  for  by  some  sportsman  who  has  found  it 
of  use  during  some  phase  of  his  outdoor  life.  Yet,  as  it  appears  on 
the  press,  there  is  every  indication  that  this  book  will  be  found  both 
interesting  and  profitable  reading  by  those  for  whom  it  is  intended. 

The  editor  cannot  close  without  a  word  of  appreciation  for  the 
hundreds  of  splendid  men  and  women  who  have  furnished  the  material 
for  this  book.  They  have  given  freely  of  their  knowledge  and  with 
but  little  idea  of  material  reward.  A  limited  number  of  them  have, 
received  the  modest  prizes  that  have  been  offered  'from  month  to 
month.  But  sheer  love  of  sport  has  been  the  actuating  motive  behind 
every  contribution.  Many  an  old  woodsman,  to  whom  even  the  writing 
of  a  short  letter  is  an  awkward  task,  has  sent  in  with  knotty  handwrit- 
ing and  vague  spelling,  a  halting  description  of  the  fruits  of  his 
wisdom.  There  has  been  a  good  deal  of  labor  expended  in  whipping 
these  suggestions  into  shape  for  the  printer,  but  there  has  been  pleasure 
as  well — pleasure  in  the  knowledge  that  by  this  work  we  were  perhaps 
also  doing  our  bit  for  the  splendid  Brotherhood  of  the  Open. 

THE  EDITOR. 


To  Charlie,  who  taught  me  how  to  drop 
a  far-flung  bait  into  a  pocket  in  the 
lily  pads; 

To  Dorsey,  who  showed  me  how  to 
dance  a  fly  on  a  smiling  pool ; 

To  Bob,  who  told  me  how  to  draw  a 
bead  and  press  a  trigger; 

To  Hughie,  who  guided  my  first  awk- 
ward attempt  with  a  canoe  pole; 

And  to  every  Tom,  Dick,  and  Harry 
who  helps  another,  tenderfoot  or 
old-timer,  to  enjoy  the  more,  to  un- 
derstand the  closer,  that  vast  her- 
itage of  the  outdoors  which  Nature 
has  left  in  trust  with  such  as  them — 

This  book  is  dedicated. 


H.  N.  Katz,  Kink  Editor,  Outer's  Book 


KINKS  OF  ALL  KINDS 


A  DUCK  KINK 

BY  O.  ;P.  CLARK 

The  outfit  here  described  weighs 
nothing  and  takes-  up  no  roo-m.  It 
should  be  welcomed  by  those  who 
enjoy  fall  sport  with  the  scat- 
tergun. 

Take  a  piece  of  cord  similar  to 
a  heavy  fishing  line — a  fish  line 
will  do — about  six  feet  long.  Tie 
a  loop  in  each  end.  (See  Fig.  1.) 
Now,  in  the  middle  of  this  string, 
tie  a  fishline  or  any  strong  string 
about  75  or  150  ft.  long.  (See 
Fig.  2.)  Now  roll  it  up  on  a 
small  board  about  2  by  4  in.  in 
size,  leaving  the  end  with  the  two 
loops  to  be  wound  up  last  and  put 
it  in  your  hunting  coat.  Then 
when  you  go  out  and  kill  a  duck 


out  beyond  your  duck  and  by 
walking  whichever  way  is  neces- 
sary, you  can  pull  the  triangle 
over  your  duck  and  pull  him  in. 
(See  Fig.  3.)  Throw  away  the 
stick  and  roll  up  your  cord  and 
place  it  in  your  pocket  and  you 
are  ready  for  as  many  ducks  as 
you  can  kill. 


IMPROVING  THE  MINNOW 
CAN 

BY  P.  E.  BRADRICK 
The  fact  that  minnows  soon 
smother  when  shut  in  the  usual 
nearly  air-tight  minnow  bucket, 
suggests  several  improvements. 
These  are  especially  for  the  ang- 
ler who  has  to  hike  "way  up  the 
creek"  for  his  minnows  and  then 


in  some  place  where  you  cannot 
get  out  to  it,  just  look  around 
and  find  a  stick  about  4  ft.  long. 
Slip  a  loop  over  each  end  and 
draw  it  tight.  Throw  the  stick 


•Fuj.3 


hurry  back  lest  they  all  die  before 
he  reaches   the  river. 

Take  the  cover  of  your  bucket 
to  the  tinner  and  have  him  cut 
out  the  top,  leaving  only  a  strip 


8 


KINKS   OF   ALL   KINDS 


around  the  edge  as  in  Fig.  2. 
Use  some  quarter-inch  mesh  gal- 
vanized screen  and  have  same 
soldered  into  the  top  in  place  of 
tin  just  removed. 

Make  a  tin  cone  or  funnel  (aa, 
Fig.  1).  Have  this  riveted  in 
place  under  the  mesh,  point  up, 
with  braces  (b-b,  Fig.  1).  This 


Fie.  2 


cone  prevents  the  water  splash- 
ing out  while  one  is  walking. 
With  the  cover  arranged  in  this 
way  the  water  is  churned  around 
and  freshened  up  at  every  step 
as  you  walk  along.  With  the  or- 
dinary cover  one  is  inclined  to 
step  very  easily  in  order  not  to 
splash  all  over.  But  with  this 
cover  the  more  the  bucket  is 
shaken  up  the  better  for  the  fish. 


DOCTORING  THE  LEADER 

BY  ARTHUR  BURKMAN 
The  ordinary  snelled  fly  is  none 
too     easy    to    remove    from   the 
leader  loop  after  it  has  been  set- 
tled into  place  by  a  few  minutes 


flies  in  a  hurry.  Here  is  a  kink 
that  will  save  many  a  minute's 
fumbling:  Just  tie  a  small  knot 
in  the  end  of  each  of  the  loops  on 
the  leader.  Hang  the  fly  on  this 
knotted  loop  the  same  as  usual. 
Now,  when  you  wish  to  remove 
the  fly,  take  the  knot  you  have  tied 
between  the  thumb  and  finger  of 
the  right  hand  and  loop  on  the 
fly  snell  between  the  thumb  and 
finger  of  the  left  hand  and  pull 
them  apart.  You  will  be  sur- 
prised to  see  how  the  little  knot 
facilitates  this.  If  desired  you 
can  also  tie  a  similar  knot  in  the 
loop  of  the  fly  snell,  but  this  is 
not  necessary. 


A  FIRE  JACK 

BY  G.  A.  COLE 

Here  is  a  fire  jack,  convenient 
to  handle,  compact  for  carrying, 
and  easy  to  make:  The  upright 
is  made  of  %-in.  iron  rod  sharp- 
ened on  one  end  so  as  to  be  easily 
stuck  into  the  ground.  It  is  3 
feet  long.  The  cross-arm,  also 
3  feet  long,  is  simply  a  ^-in.  iron 
rod  with  a  hook  forged  at  one 
end.  The  block  can  be  either  of 
hardwood  or  metal.  It  is  3  in. 
square  and  has  two  holes  bored 
through  it  at  right  angles  to  one 
another,  to  accommodate  the  two 


of  persistent  casting.  It  is  some- 
times pretty  stubborn  to  bring 
away  when  you  want  to  change 


rods.  The  holes  are  made  1-16  in. 
larger  than  the  rod  they  are  to 
take,  and  are  bored  to  cross  as 


KINKS    OF   ALL   KINDS 


closely    to   one   another    as   pos- 
sible. 

To  set  up,  push  the  point  of  the 
upright  into  the  ground  and  slip 
the  block  over  it.  Then  insert  the 
cross-arm  in  its  socket  and  you 
are  ready  to  hang  the  kettle.  The 


Standard  Stt  Up 


Mr 


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fiP 

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ISE 

Qtfait  oj 
Bloct 

cross-arm  can  be  raised,  lowered, 
lengthened,  shortened  or  swung 
in  any  direction  and  the  friction 
of  the  block  will  cause  it  to  bind 
and  hold  wherever  placed.  This 
little  device  will  save  many  a 
singed  eyebrow  or  spilt  pot  of 
Java. 


THE  SQUIRREL  TAIL  BAIT 

BY  W.  H.  GREENE 
Here   is   a   bait   that   has   done 

good  execution  for  me  among  the 

bass. 
Take  a  squirrel  tail  and  cut  it 

off  about  five  inches  long.    Fasten 


two  gang  hooks  in  tandem  on  a 
double  gut  leader  and  lash  them 
to  the  tail  with  good  silk  thread. 


The  end  of  the  tail  should  project 
about  an  inch  behind  the  last  gang. 
The  lashings  should  be  thoroughly 
made. 

Where  desired,  a  shorter  bait 
can  be  made  in  the  same  style  by 
using  only  one  gang  instead  of 
two. 


MAKE   YOUR   REEL   SELF- 
STRIKING 

BY  GEORGE  MORTON 
The  following  kink  can  be  used 
quite  successfully  when  still  fish- 
ing. It  is  especially  good  when 
the  rod  is  not  held  in  the  hand  or 
when  the  angler's  attention  is  per- 
haps attracted  elsewhere  at  the 
moment  the  fish  bites: 

Fasten  a  rather  stiff  rubber 
band  to  the  upper  end  of  the  rod 
grasp.  It  may  be  lashed  in  place, 


stretched  over  a  peg  as  in  the 
diagram,  or  fastened  in  any  other 
way  you  desire.  Whittle  a  small 
bit  of  wood  to  the  right  length  so 
that  it  will  act  as  a  prop  between 
the  reel  handle  and  the  reel  seat 
when  the  forward  end  of  the  han- 
dle is  brought  just  slightly  below 
the  parallel  with  the  reel  seat. 
Pass  the  line  around  back  of  this 
prop,  stretch  the  rubber  band  from 
the  rod  grasp  to  the  reel  handle 
and  the  reel  is  locked. 
As  soon  as  a  fish  takes  the  bait 


10 


KINKS    OF   ALL   KINDS 


and  straightens  the  line,  he  pulls 
out  the  small  prop.  The  rubber 
band  promptly  jerks  down  the 
reel  handle,  causing  the  spool  to 
wind  in  a  few  inches  of  line,  just 
enough  to  set  the  hook.  If  the 
angler  desires  the  fish  to  run  with 
the  bait  for  some  distance  before 
being  snubbed  (as  when  fishing 
with  minnows,  etc.),  strip  out  the 
extra  line  in  advance  and  let  it 
lie  in  loose  coils  just  back  of  the 
first  guide. 


AN  IMPROVISED  TANDEM 

BY  JOHN  PHILLIPS 
Sometimes    the   bass    insist   on 
biting  short  on  your  minnow  when 
you  do  not  happen  to  have  a  reg- 
ular   tandem    hook    handy.      You 

Fig  I 


can't  blame  the  fish  for  not  want- 
ing to  get  their  faces  full  of 
hooks,  but  here's  a  way  to  fool 
them  just  the  same: 

Tie  a  3.0  Aberdeen  snelled  hook 
on  the  end  of  your  line  and  let 


this  run  back  through  the  gills  of 
the  minnow.  Then  loop  another 
of  the  same  hooks  onto  the  line  a 
little  farther  up,  looping  on  with 


the  simple  hitch  shown  in  Fig.  2. 
This  hook  goes  through  the  lips 
of  the  bait  and  your  tandem  is 
complete.  Better  than  a  regular 
tandem  in  some  respects  because 
it  is  so  easily  adjusted  to  the 
length  of  the  minnow. 


GANGS  CAN'T  TWIST  OUT 

BY  GEORGE  A.  WIGGAN 
Last  summer,  after  having  lost 
several  large  pike  and  muskies, 
due  to  the  tail  hooks  coming  out, 
I  inquired  the  cause  from  an  old- 
timer.  He  told  me  that  the  mus- 
kies  and  likely  pike  as  well,  have 
a  habit  of  rolling  over  during  their 
struggles  and  in  this  way  twist  off 
the  hook.  He  showed  me  a  bait 
on  which  the  tail  gang  had  been 


twisted  almost  straight  by  a  small 
muskie. 

I  use  baits  having  a  single  tail 
gang  only. 

I  took  one  of  these  and  after 
removing  the  hook  from  the  tail, 
put  on  a  small  swivel  and  then 
put  back  the  hook.  I  tried  this 
for  several  days  and  missed  about 
a  dozen  strikes.  I  then  saw  that 
the  swivel  put  the  hook  too  far 
back  to  hook  any  but  those  that 
came  from  the  rear. 

I  cut  the  ring  off  one  end  of 
the  swivel  and  also  cut  the  eye  off 
the  screw  eye  that  held  the  hook. 
The  hole  in  the  bottom  of  the 


KINKS    OF   ALL    KINDS 


11 


swivel  had  to  be  enlarged  to  fit 
the  screw  shank,  but  I  finally  got  a 
tight  joint.  After  forcing  this  into 
the  body  of  the  swivel  a  little  way 
I  managed  to  flatten  the  bead  out 
a  little.  Then  a  drop  of  solder 
made  it  fast.  I  tested  it  to  thirty 


pounds  pull  (five  more  than  any 
of  my  fish  lines  will  stand),  and  it' 
showed  no  signs  of  coming  loose. 
When  the  hooks  had  been  put 
back  on  the  swivel  and  the  whole 
business  fastened  to  the  bait  I 
tried  it  out  again.  This  time  I 
hooked  six  out  of  seven  strikes  in 
two  days.  Five  of  these  were 
landed,  the  sixth  shook  loose. 
None  of  the  hooks  showed  the 
least  sign  of  being  twisted. 

A  HOOK  THEY  CAN'T 
SWALLOW 

BY  I.  E.  CATTERTON 

How    many    of   you    have   had 

trouble    in    removing    your    hook 

from  the  mouth   of   a  fish   after 

you  have  caught  him,  simply  be- 


cause he  had  swallowed  the  hook 
too  deeply?  Now  if  you  will  get 
a  small  piece  of  wire  and  twist 
it  tightly  around  the  shank  of 


your  hook,  letting  the  ends  pro- 
ject about  an  inch,  you  will  have 
no  such  trouble.  The  wire  pre- 
vents the  fish  from  swallowing 
the  hook.  Do  not  place  the 
wire  too  far  down  on  the  shank 
nor  yet  too  far  back.  Use  your 
own  judgment  in  this  and  regu- 
late your  distance  according  to 
the  size  and  length  of  the  hook 
you  are  using. 


A  SIMPLE  KNOT 

BY  J.  C.  BIGELOW 

I    am    seventy-three    years    old 

and  started  fishing  with  my  father 

long     before    I    can     remember. 

Last   summer   I   had  a  grandson 


four  and  a  half  years  old  out  in 
a  boat  with  me  fishing.  He  had 
his  own  pole  and  caught  a  num- 
ber of  good-sized  fish.  Maybe  I 
didn't  enjoy  seeing  him  bait  his 
own  hook.  Recently  I  became  a 
reader  of  OUTER'S  and  have  got- 
ten some  bright  ideas  from  the 
Kink  column. 

Here  is  something  I  have  never 
seen  in  print.  It  is  a  method  of 
tying  a  line  on  a  ringed  hook  so 
that  it  can  be  readily  untied 
again.  Simply  tie  with  an  or- 


12 


KINKS    OF   ALL   KINDS 


dinary  single  bow  knot.  Bring 
the  end  of  the  knot  through  the 
loop  and  pull  all  down  tight.  To 
untie,  it  will  be  found  very  easy 
to  withdraw  the  end  from  the 
loop  and  then  a  single  pull  opens 
everything  up. 


KEEP  YOUR  HOPPER 
ALIVE 

BY  W.  H.  GREENE 
Grasshoppers  are  frequently  a 
good  bait  and  a  live  hopper  is 
better  than  a  dead  one.  But  if 
you  hook  them  in  the  thorax 
they  die  almost  immediately,  and 
hooked  in  the  abdomen  they  come 
off  too  easily.  I  find  it  pays  to 


keep  a  spool  of  thread  with  me 
and  when  the  fish  will  rise  to 
nothing  but  hoppers  I  tie  them  on 
the  hook  with  this.  Just  put  a 
loop  around  the  thorax,  under 
the  wings  and  ahead  of  the  hind- 
legs.  Run  the  hook  through  this 
loop  under  the  hopper's  body. 
Cast  out  and  watch  results  as 
Mister  Hopper  kicks  his  protest. 


AN  EMERGENCY  FOOT 

REST 

BY  G.  A.  C.  CLARKE 
On  a  recent  fishing  trip  I  found 
that  my  host's  boat  or  punt  had 
no  footboard  to  brace  my  feet 
against  while  rowing,  so  I  made 
one  by  cutting  three  sticks  and 


nailed  them  as  shown  in  the  dia- 
gram. The  ends  A  and  B  extend- 
ed to  the  stern  of  the  boat,  rest- 
ing on  the  floor;  C  is  the  brace 


A 


for  the  feet.  A  and  B  can,  of 
course,  be  cut  any  length  to  suit 
the  reach  of  the  rower's  legs. 
This  rigging  is  in  no  manner  at- 
tached to  the  boat,  so  may  be 
readily  taken  out  in  order  to  clean 
out  the  latter. 


IMPROVING    TUBE    TIPS 

BY  A.  MANNING,  JR. 
With  the  tube  style  of  tip  guide 
which  is  still  found  on. some  cast- 
ing   rods,    the    line    has    a    great 
tendency  to  cling  to  the  rod  when 


R0.A. 


it  gets  wet,  interfering  consider- 
ably with  its  free  running  qual- 
ities. This  can  be  easily  remedied 
with  a  small  pair  of  pliers.  Grasp 
the  guide  with  the  pliers  at  the 


KINKS    OF   ALL    KINDS 


13 


point  marked  1,  Fig.  A,  and  bend 
upward  to  an  angle  of  approxi- 
mately 45  degrees.  Then  grasp  at 
the  point  marked  2  and  bend  the 
extreme  tip  back  into  parallel  with 
the  rest  of  the  rod.  Fig.  B  shows 
the  completed  job.  With  this  ar- 
rangement the  line  is  lifted  well 
above  the  rod  so  that  it  cannot 
cling  and  cause  trouble. 


A  HINGE  FIRE  RACK 

BY  GEO.  K.  PARKER 
The  accompanying  simple  kink 
is  a  great  help  on  a  camping  trip 
of  any  kind.  It  is  easy  to  carry 
and  will  save  many  a  turned-over 
coffee  pot  or  frying  pan.  You 
take  three  8-inch  strap  hinges  and 


Set  up 


just  put  a  stove  bolt  through  the 
middle  hole  and  you've  got  the 
dandiest  little  fire  rack  ever  made. 
When  not  in  use  it  can  be  folded 
and  carried  in  coat  or  grip. 


THE  NATURAL  POTHOOK 

BY  F.  H.  BOHM 
Trim  a  green  limb,  as  long  as 
desired,  with  the  exception  of  a 
piece  of  one  branch  left  near  the 
butt  to  form  a  hook.  Then  cut  a 
deep  notch  near  the  other  end  of 
the  stick,  hang  the  bail  of  your 


kettle  in  the  notch  and  hook  the 
other  end  of  the  stick  over  your 
crane.  You  will  find  this  a  first- 
rate  pothook,  saving  the  carrying 
of  metal  hooks  or  chains.  This 
Kink  is  probably  already  known 
to  a  good  many  old-timers,  but 
lots  of  campers  do  not  seem  to 
have  heard  of  it. 


THE 


PICKEREL   THROAT 
BAIT 

BY  GLENN  PRUCIA 
After  the  "big  ones"  get  wise 
through  being  much  fished,  they 
will  only  hit  a  spoon  or  artificial 
bait  once  and  then  refuse  to  strike 
a  second  time  as  they  are  on  to  the 
deception.  Sometimes  you  will 
troll  for  hours  with  only  a  little 
pound  and  a  half  "snake"  to  show 
for  your  pains.  Don't  toss  the  lit- 


14 


KINKS    OF   ALL   KINDS 


tie  fellow  overboard  in  disgust. 
He  will  help  you  to  get  bigger 
game. 

With  your  pocket  knife  cut  out 
the  V  of  tough  skin  directly  under 


his  tongue  and  hang  this  on  your 
spoon.  The  next  big  fellow  that 
strikes  will  find  the  bait  soft  and 
to  his  liking,  and  if  he  fails  to  get 
hooked  the  first  time  he  will  not 
hesitate  to  strike  again.  Try  it 
out  and  see. 


DRIVING    STAKES 

BY  ARTHUR  W.  STEVENS 
All  of  us  who  have  ever  tried  to 
drive   a     forked     stake    into    the 
ground  in  building  a  rack,  crane 


or  the  like,  have  found  it  difficult 
to  do  without  splitting  the  fork. 
If  instead  of  a  fork  a  straight 
piece  with  a  prong  on  one  side  is 


used,  it  will  serve  the  purpose  just 
as  well  and  be  much  easier  to 
drive.  The  sketch  will  make  this 
clear. 

Also  if  the  top  of  the  stake  is 
carved  with  a  jackknife  or  sharp 
ax  before  driving,  it  is  not  nearly 
so  apt  to  split.  This  applies  as 
well  to  tent  stakes  or  any  other 
stake  that  is  to  be  driven. 


SAFEGUARDING 
REEL 


THE 


BY  HEJNRY  HILL 
Nearly  every  caster  has  had 
trouble  at  one  time  or  another 
with  a  reel  band  that  will  not 
stay  in  place.  The  following  Kink 
will  effectually  put  an  end  to  this 
difficulty. 


Take  a  heavy  elastic  band,  or 
better  still,  a  three-eighths  inch 
strip  cut  from  a  heavy  automo- 
bile inner  tube.  Place  one  end 
ahead  of  the  fixed  reel  band  as  in 
diagram  No.  1.  Bring  the  other 
end  diagonally  around  the  reel 
seat  and  lash  both  ends  as  shown 
in  diagram  No.  2.  In  putting 
the  reel  on  the  rod,  slip  the  reel 
seat  under  the  crossed  elastics 
from  the  direction  of  the  fixed 
reel  seat.  Then  seat  reel  as  us- 
ual. Elastic  should  be  of  such  a 
length  and  weight  that  it  is  very 


KINKS    OF   ALL    KINDS 


15 


tight  when  reel  is  in  place.     Dia- 
gram No.  3  shows  how  it  looks. 

For  heavy  rods  elastic  may  be 
made  as  wide   as   five-eighths   or 


No.  3 


three-quarters  of  an  inch.  If  pre- 
ferred, a  small  stud  can  be  sol- 
dered to  the  movable  reel  band 
and  the  elastic  slipped  over  same 
as  in  diagram  No.  4. 

A  variation  of  the  same  Kink  is 
to   fasten  a  small  German  silver 


No.  4 


or  brass  hook  ahead  of  the  fixed 
band  on  the  reel  seat.  Cut  a  piece 
of  heavy  elastic  about  three-quar- 
ters by  two  inches.  Round  the 
corners  off  and  punch  a  three- 
eighths-inch  hole  a  half-inch  from 

No.5 


No.  6 


one  end  and  a  one-eighth-inch  hole 
near  the  other  as  in  diagram  No. 
5.  A  round  punch  should  be  used 
for  the  holes  or  they  will  be 


likely  to  tear.  Stretch  the  large 
hole  over  the  reel  plate  and  seat 
the  reel  on  the  rod.  Then  stretch 
the  small  hole  over  the  hook  as  in 
diagram  No.  6.  Either  one  of 
these  methods  will  hold  the  reel 
firmly  in  place. 


A    TEMPORARY    MINNOW 
NET 

BY  H.  A.  PETERS 
Were  you  ever  without  a  min- 
now   net,    for    some    reason    or 
other,  while  on  a  fishing  trip,  when 


F.g.2 


one  could  not  procure  one  for 
many  miles ;  and  not  only  that,  but 
you  found  that  the  "big  ones"  just 
wouldn't  bite  on  anything  else  but 
a  minnow?  If  you  have  never 
been  in  that  predicament  you  are 
indeed  more  fortunate  than  I,  for 
such  were  the  conditions  my 
camping  party  was  in  last  summer 
up  in  Wisconsin. 

We  had  a  very  nice  net  when 
we  started  out,  but  the  third  day 
in  camp  the  net,  somehow  or 


16 


KINKS    OF   ALL   KINDS 


other,  got  too  near  the  fire  and 
almost  all  the  netting  burned  off. 
Of  course,  it  was  not  anyone's 
fault,  but  that  did  not  matter.  We 


had  to  have  a  net.  We  each  had 
a  landing  net,  but  we  found  it 
impossible  to  catch  minnows  with 
them  because  of  their  size.  After 
looking  over  my  outfit  I  found  a 


ring  and  pole  to  a  tree  at  a  con- 
venient height.  Then  I  cut  a  num- 
ber of  pieoes  of  twine  about  three 
feet  long  and  fastened  them  to  the 
ring  as  in  Fig.  1.  Starting  at  A, 
Fig.  2,  I  took  one  string  from  each 
adjacent  pair  and  tied  a  simple 
double  knot  in  them.  After  fin- 
ishing the  first  row  I  made  the 
second,  third,  etc.,  as  in  Fig.  2. 
After  making  about  seven  rows  I 
decided  to  taper  the  net  down. 
This  was  done  by  making  the 
mesh  smaller  (that  is,  tying  the 
cords  closer  together) ;  also  by 
cutting  off,  say  six  strings,  from 
six  pairs,  at  equal  distances  apart 
in  the  same  row,  as  at  A,  Fig.  3. 
The  knotting  was  done  the  same 
as  before  until  a  single  line  was 
reached.  Then  by  taking  one 
string  each  side  of  the  single  one, 
I  tied  the  knot  so  that  it  came 
even  with  the  rest  in  the  same 
vertical  row.  Then  I  tied  a  sec- 


ball  of  twine  and  I  decided  to  try 
to  make  a  net.  I  did  this  as 
follows : 

After  cutting  off  all  the  net  that 
remained  on  the  ring,  I  fastened 


ond  knot  with  the  single  line  and 
one  of  the  other  two  and  cut  off 
the  single  line  short  as  at  B,  Fig. 
4.  Continuing  in  this  manner,  cut- 
ting six  pairs  from  every  horizon- 
tal row,  I  soon  had  the  diameter 
of  the  hole  in  the  bottom  about 
eight  inches.  Then  removing  the 
net  part  from  my  landing  net,  I 
fastened  it  to  the  bottom  of  the 
minnow  net  by  means  of  small 
hooks  and  my  net  was  complete  as 
in  Fig.  5. 

It   took   quite   a   time,   but   we 
were  certainly  rewarded  for  our 


KINKS    OF   ALL    KINDS 


17 


work.  Of  course,  it  required  pa- 
tience but  where  is  there  a  good 
fisherman  who  lacks  that?  The 
author  used  this  net  the  entire 
summer,  but  has  not  seen  it  fail 
yet.  So,  brother,  if  ever  placed  as 
I  was,  just  remember  this  Kink 
and  you  will  catch  your  minnows. 


Take  a  number  of  hooks  of  the 
stiff  steel  variety  and  heat  the 
eyes  until  they  can  be  bent  with 
pliers.  Then  hook  them  into 


A   SPOON   FLOAT 

BY  GEO.  RAVELING 
The  ordinary  bait-caster  fre- 
quently has  trouble  when  trying 
to  cast  a  spoon.  Either  the  spoon 
is  so  light  that  he  cannot  send  it 
out  very  far,  or  else  he  gets  a 
backlash  and  his  spoon  sinks  to 
the  bottom  and  snags.  Here  is 
a  kink  that  will  overcome  both  of 
these  difficulties : 

Take  a  piece  of  softwood  and 
taper  both  ends  as  shown  in  the 
diagram.      Coat    with    white    en- 
amel paint  and  fasten  a 
single  stout  hook  on  one 


each  other  in  tandem,  turning  one 
hook  one  way  and  the  next  the 
opposite.  Then  close  the  eyes 
until  they  will  not  come  off  over 
the  barb.  Two  feet  or  more  of 
this  string  of  hooks  makes  a  good 
landing  tool  when  attached  to 
"any  old  stick" 
with  a  small 


side    as    shown. 

Fasten  this  float 
on  your  line  by  a  couple  of  slip- 
knots, about  two  feet  ahead  of  the 
spoon. 


weight  wired  to 
the    last    hook. 

Let  the  size  of  the  hooks  be  gov- 
erned by  the  size  of  the  fish  to 
be  caught. 


A  FLEXIBLE  GAFF 

BY  V.  F.  MALONE 
The  following  kink  may  be  of 
some  value  to  the  week-end  fish- 
erman who  wishes  to  diminish 
the  contents  of  his  tackle  box 
and  go  without  a  net  or  gaff: 


DEEP  WATER  TROLLER 

BY  FRED  R.  SEMENETZ 
Here  is  a  Kink  that's  as  old  as 
the  hills.  Maybe  you  have  seen 
or  used  it  yourself  in  your  time, 
but  it's  good  enough  to  report  any- 
how on  the  chance  that  some 
brother  may  not  be  familiar  with 
it.  I  used  it  every  year  for  from 
three  to  five  weeks  out  at  the 


18 


KINKS    OF   ALL    KINDS 


Heads  (Golden  Gate)  trolling  for 
salmon.  Used  light  tackle  and 
No.  21  Cutty  Hunk  line.  Believe 
me!  you  can  have  all  the  fun  you 


Sprite) 


want  with  salmon  that  weigh  from 
8  to  40  pounds.  I  have  also  used 
the  "Deep  Water  Troller"  on  lakes 
where  big  pickerel  and  big-mouth 


bass  are  caught  on  those  days 
when  the  fish  run  deep. 

The  troller  does  away  with  the 
heavy  sinker  while  fighting  the 
fish.  You  can  imagine  the  sinker 
you  would  have  to  use  to  reach  a 
depth  of  20  feet,  using  light  tackle. 

Take  a  piece  of  No.  9  brass 
wire  6  inches  long.  Slip  a  gener- 
ous sized  washer  over  each  end 
and  then  form  an  eye  at  each  end. 
This  wire  is  labeled  "D"  in  the 
diagram.  A  swivel  should  be  at- 
tached to  each  of  these  eyes 
(C-C)  and  the  lower  swivel  cast 
directly  into  a  good  generous  lead 
sinker  shaped  much  like  a  sash- 
weight,  but  much  smaller,  of 
course. 

The  rudder  piece  (A)  is  made 
out  of  a  piece  of  No.  21  sheet 
brass,  2  inches  long  and  1  inch 
wide.  A  half  inch  at  one  end  is 
bent  so  as  to  form  a  free  work- 
ing hinge  around  the  rod  D.  The 
other  end  is  rounded  and  a  quar- 
ter-inch hole  pierced  through  it. 


KINKS    OF   ALL    KINDS 


19 


Next  comes  the  spring  B.  This 
is  made  out  of  No.  18  spring  brass 
wire  and  bent  as  shown.  The 
forks  should  be  given  enough  ten- 
sion so  that  when  they  are  run 
through  the  hole  in  A  it  will  take 
a  pull  about  equal  to  that  made 
by  the  strike  of  a  three-pound 
fish,  in  order  to  dislodge  them. 

In  using  this  device  the  fish  line 
is  run  from  the  tip  of  the  rod 
through  the  middle  or  inside  coil 
of  the  spring  B,  which  is  then 
slipped  into  the  rudder  plate.  The 
troller  (which  is  suspended  on 
any  piece  of  heavy  hand  line)  is 
lowered  to  the  depth  at  which  you 
want  the  bait  to  travel.  The  boat 
is  then  started  and  line  paid  out 
from  the  reel  until  the  bait  is  as 
far  astern  as  desired. 

When  the  fish  strikes  the  spring 
B  pulls  out  of  the  rudder  plate  at 
once  and  soon  runs  down  the  line 
until  it  is  stopped  by  the  hook. 
You  are  therefore  fighting  your 
fish  unhampered  by  any  heavy 
sinkers  on  the  line.  This  leads  to 
a  great  deal  better  sport,  as  it  en- 
ables one  to  troll  with  lighter 
tackle  than  otherwise. 


total  materials  needed  for  the 
change  cost  me  only  sixteen  cents, 
I  think  this  kink  worthy  of  being 
passed  along. 


FOR  CARRYING  CREEL  OR 

CANTEEN 
BY  W.  HERWIG 
Being  tired  of  the  way  my  can- 
teen   swung    and    pounded    when 
hung  from  a  long  shoulder  strap, 
I  determined  to  try  carrying  it  at 
my    belt.     The    experiment    was 
highly    satisfactory,    and,    as    the 


All  that  is  needed  is  a  D  ring, 
a  harness  snap,  an  ordinary  book 
strap  and  a  nickel's  worth  of  cop- 
per rivets.  The  diagram  will  show 
how  these  are  put  together.  Two 
pieces  of  the  strap  are  riveted  to 
the  canteen  and  the  D  ring.  The 
third  piece,  with  the  buckle  left  on 
it,  forms  a  loop  to  slip  over  the 
belt  and  through  the  harness  strap. 


20 


KINKS    OF   ALL    KINDS 


The  snap  enables  one  to  unsling 
the  canteen  in  a  jiffy. 

Just  try  this  combination  on 
your  own  canteen  or  creel.  To  my 
way  of  thinking  it  is  far  more 
comfortable  than  the  shoulder 
strap,  and  if  you  don't  like  it  there 
is  nothing  wasted  but  a  few  cents' 
worth  of  materials,  since  the  can- 
teen or  creel  are  not  injured.  But 
you  will  like  it,  I  know. 


LINE-DRYING   DEVICE 

BY  CHARLES  D.  LEONARD 
An  excellent  device  for  drying 
lines  may  be  made  from  one  of 
the  heads  of  an  old  barrel.  I  at- 
tach mine  to  the  sunny  side  of  a 
woodshed,  leaving  it  outdoors 
throughout  the  summer;  but  it 
could  be  adapted  easily  for  in- 
door use.  The  expense  of  mak- 
ing it  is  practically  nothing. 

Procure  a  barrel  head  and  cleat 
it  across  center  to  prevent  split- 


holes,  giving  each  hole  a  slight 
slant  toward  the  outside  of  the 
barrel  head.  In  each  hole  insert 
a  meat  skewer,  which  will  prob- 
ably be  given  you  at  the  market. 
Drive  the  skewer  entirely  through 
head,  otherwise  the  swelling  of 
the  wood  in  a  rain  will  force 
skewer  out.  Cut  off  pointed  ends 
of  skewers  flush  with  back  of  bar- 
rel head. 

Attach  head  to  casing  at  back 
of  house,  or  other  convenient 
place,  by  setting  screw  in  hole, 
using  washer  on  each  side  of  head 
to  insure  easy  turning. 

A  foot  or  more  to  right  set 
screw  eye  in  side  of  building 
large  enough  to  take  ferrule  on 
butt  joint  of  rod,  and  a  screw 
hook  spaced  far  enough  back  to 
hold  grip  of  rod.  I  use  a  joint 
from  a  discarded  rod,  but  no 
harm  would  be  done  to  a  good 
one  if  the  hook  were  padded  with 
felt  or  cloth. 


ting.  Cleat  should  be  on  side  to 
be  attached  to  building.  Bore 
hole  through  center  to  take  screw, 
spoke  or  bolt  upon  which  head  is 
to  turn.  Draw  a  circle  around 
head  about  two  inches  inside  the 
circumference.  At  equal  distances 
on  this  circle  bore  eight  small 


Attach  reel  to  reel-seat  in  ordi- 
nary manner,  thread  line  through 
first  guide,  pass  it  outside  screw 
eye,  tie  loosely  to  one  of  skew- 
ers and  start  turning  barrel  head. 
One  hundred  yards  can  be  trans- 
ferred to  head  in  a  very  short 
time.  After  drying,  take  rod  from 


KINKS    OF   ALL    KINDS 


21 


hooks,  without  disengaging  the 
reel,  and  spool  the  line  as  if  re- 
trieving a  bait.  If  more  than  one 
line  needs  to  be  dried,  after  run- 
ning first  line  on  to  the  drier,  de- 
tach from  spindle  of  reel,  tie  sec- 
ond line  to  end  of  first  and  keep 
on  turning. 

Care  should  be  taken  to  attach 
rod    hangers    to    right    of    barrel 


head,  as  otherwise  the  side  of  the 
building  will  interfere  with  the 
crank  of  the  reel. 


A  GOOD  FLARE 

BY  THURMAN  R.  GRAHAM 
Being  in  need  of  a  good  flare 
or  torch  for  spearing  eels  by,  I 
made  a  very  successful  one  out 
of  a  gallon  oil  can  and  a  few  feet 
of  scrap  pipe. 

I  bored  a  hole  in  the  bottom  of 
the  oil  can  and  soldered  over  it 
the  bottom  of  an  old  ^-inch 
grease  cup.  Into  this  I  screwed 
an  ell,  to  which  was  joined  a  piece 
of  ^-inch  pipe  6  or  7  inches  long. 
Next  was  a  valve.  Then  a  piece 
of  24-inch  pipe  10  inches  long. 
Then  another  ell  and  a  curl  from 
on  old  steam  gauge. 


For  a  burner  I  took  a  piece  of 
1*4 -inch  pipe,  7  inches  long.  In 
the  center  of  this  I  tapped  a  hole 
for  the  ^inch  pipe.  Then  punched 
or  drilled  about  75  other  small 
holes  in  the  same  side  of  the  pipe 


as  tapped  for  the  ^-inch.  Both 
ends  of  the  burner  were  then 
plugged.  A  pad  for  the  shoulder 
and  a  handle  completed  the  outfit. 
In  operation,  I  fill  the  can  with 
kerosene  and  turn  the  valve 
enough  to  fill  the  curl  with  oil. 
Then  I  heat  the  curl  by  burning 
a  bit  of  oily  rag  under  it.  The 
pipe  soon  becomes  hot  enough  to 
turn  the  kerosene  inside  of  it  to 
gas.  It  then  burns  freely  at  the 
burner  and  can  be  regulated  with 
the  valve  exactly  like  any  other 
gas  flame. 


FREEING  THE  LINE 

BY  CLARENCE  GRAHAM 
While  casting  for  trout  with  a 
spinner,  my  hook  got  caught  on 
the  bottom.  The  stream  was  too 
deep  and  swift  to  wade  and  as 
it  was  my  last  spinner  I  was  up 
against  it  for  a  while.  After  try- 
ing all  sorts  of  ways  to  get  it 


22 


KINKS    OF    ALL    KINDS 


loose,  I  finally  picked  up  a  piece 
of  wood  about  three  feet  long 
and  two  inches  wide.  To  this  I 
tied  a  piece  of  string  about  one- 
third  of  the  way  from  one  end. 
I  then  made  a  loop  in  the  string 
which  would  slide  easily  along 


my  line  and  set  the  stick  adrift. 
The  current  carried  it  down  afly- 
ing.  I  held  a  tight  line  and  the 
stick  went  right  over  the  spot 
where  my  hook  was  and  danced 
around.  In  a  moment  the  hook 
came  free.  This  kink  usually 
works  very  nicely  and  has  saved 
several  spinners  for  me  since. 


THE    PALOUSER 

BY  A.  W.  STEVENS 
The  palouser  is  a  very  simple 
and  efficient  candle  lantern  well 
known  to  the  miner  and  woods- 
man. It  may  be  made  of  any 
good-sized  tin  can,  but  a  lard  pail, 
about  5  Ib.  size,  works  best. 

Select  a  point  in  the  side  of  the 
pail  a  little  more  than  half  way 
down  and  directly  under  one  of 
the  ears  that  holds  the  bail.  Cut 
a  slit  whose  length  is  a  little 
greater  than  the  diameter  of  a 
candle.  Then  cut  another  across 
it  at  right  angles.  This  forms 
four  points  which  may  be  bent  in- 
ward. A  candle  thrust  through 
the  hole  is  prevented  by  these 


points  from  slipping  out,  and  it 
may  be  pushed  farther  in  as  it 
burns  off. 

Loosen  the  bail  from  the  side 
on  which  the  hole  has  been 
punched.  Squeeze  the  ends  a  lit- 
tle closer  together  and  hook  the 
loose  end  under  the  flange  in  the 
bottom  of  the  pail.  This  forms 
a  handle  by  which  the  pail  may  be 
carried  on  its  side — and  the  lan- 
tern is  complete. 

The  bottom  of  the  pail  forms 
a  reflector  and  makes  it  'a  real 
searchlight.  Although  the  whole 
front  is  open,  it  will  burn  in  al- 
most any  wind  because  there  is 
no  other  opening  to  carry  the 
draft  past  the  flame. 

As  to  the  spelling  of  the  name, 
I  am  not  sure,  as  I  have  never 


seen  it  in  print.  The  great  agri- 
cultural region  of  the  state  of 
Washington  is  known  as  the  Pal- 
ouse  (pronounced  paloos),  and  in 
the  Northwest  everything  of  a 
rural  nature  is  supposed  to  have 


KINKS    OF   ALL    KINDS 


23 


come  from  the  Palouse  region.  It 
is,  therefore,  not  improbable  that 
the  name  originated  there. 


A  SIMPLE  ROD  HOLDER 

BY  WM.  HERWIG 
Desiring  a  rod  holder  for  troll- 
ing, still-fishing  and  the  like,  I 
set  about  to  make  one.  In  a 
plumbing  shop  I  found  a  piece  of 
tubing  that  just  slipped  easily  over 
the  butt  of  my  rod.  This  I  pur- 
chased for  the  enormous  cost  of 
five  cents.  Next  I  cut  off  the  tube 
to  about  seven  inches  in  length 
and  proceeded  to  pinch  or  flat- 
ten one  end  with  a  few 
blows  from  a  hammer.  In 
this  flattened  end  I  bored  a  hole 


F 


large  enough  to  accommodate  an 
ordinary  thumb  screw.  Now  all  I 
have  to  do  is  to  screw  my  bit  of 
tube  tight  to  the  edge  of  the  boat 
or  pier,  stick  in  my  rod  and  I  am 
all  set.  Where  it  is  not  desired  to 


screw  the  tube  tight,  a  bit  of 
string  may  be  run  through  the 
screw  hole  in  the  tube  and  tied  to 
the  boat.  I  find  it  best  to  have 
the  tubing  of  such  a  diameter  as 
to  allow  the  rod  handle  a  little 
play. 


A    HOME-MADE     CAMP 
STOVE 

BY  CHAS.  S.  YOUNGS 

I  have  noticed  in  your  book,  as 

well  as  in  several  others,  articles 

upon  camping  outfits,  and  reading 

them    brought    to    mind   a  stove 


which  I  have  used  on  several  oc- 
casions and  which  proved  very 
satisfactory  in  every  way.  I  am 
enclosing  a  rough  drawing  to  illus- 
trate same. 

The  stove  is  very  easily  made 
and  not  very  expensive.  Get'  a 
sheet  of  Russia  iron  from  a  tin- 
ner and  have  two  edges  turn 
down,  as  shown  in  Fig.  I,  the  size 
to  be  governed  by  any  box  or 
chest  which  is  carried  on  the 
trip,  as  the  iron  can  be  placed  on 
the  top  or  bottom  of  the  box  or 
chest  and  strapped  on  out  of  the 
way.  A  fire  built  under  the  iron 


24 


KINKS    OF   ALL   KINDS 


when  set  on  the  ground  will  be 
found  to  prove  very  satisfactory. 
If  a  more  elaborate  stove  is  de- 
sired it  might  be  fashioned  after 
Fig.  II,  with  both  ends  closed  by 
riveting  a  strip  of  the  same  ma- 
terial in  place  and  cutting  a  door 


with  draft  in  one  end.  A  stove 
pipe  made  of  a  piece  of  small 
eaves  trough  may  also  be  inserted 
through  a  hole  in  the  top  and 
fastened  from  the  inside  with  the 
two  flanges  or  cleats  fastened  to 
the  underside  of  the  top. 


MARKING  A  ROD 

BY  JULIUS  FRANK 

A    very    fine    casting-rod    was 

found  and  could  not  be  returned 

to  the  owner  because   the   finder 

knew  no  way  to  locate  him.    This 


led  me  to  mark  my  rods  in  a  very 
simple  and  effective  manner.  Fol- 
lowing is  my  Kink: 

Just  above  the  reel-seat  in  the 
first  space  between  silk  windings 


on  the  rod  I  scraped  the  varnish 
and  bared  the  wood. 

I  took  a  letter  head  that  had 
my  name  and  town  address  printed 
on  it,  and  with  a  very  fine  grained 
sandpaper  I  sandpapered  the  back 
of  the  paper  until  the  place  over 
the  name  was  very  thin.  Then 
with  a  very  sharp  knife  I  cut 
name  from  the  paper. 

Having  paper  and  rod  thus  pre- 
pared, I  spread  a  very  thin  coating 
of  varnish  (I  used  Valspar)  on 
the  rod  in  the  place  previously 
scraped ;  I  placed  the  name  in  this 
space  and  spread  a  thick  coating 
of  varnish  over  all. 

When  the  varnish  was  com- 
pletely dry  I  found  that  the  paper 
was  entirely  transparent  and  the 
name  appeared  as  if  printed  on 
the  rod. 

Thus  you  see  that  I  have  plainly, 
inexpensively  and  permanently 
marked  my  rods. 


A   CAMP  KNIFE 

BY  JOHN  B.  COWING 

The       accompanying      diagram 

shows  a  camp  knife  to  be  made 

from  a  piece  of  broken  handsaw 

blade  or  from  a  carpenter's  steel 

scraper  blade,  with  a  sole  leather 


handle  riveted  on,  and  the  handle 
sandpapered  and  varnished  with 
good  rod  or  spar  varnish.  This 
makes  a  light  but  useful  knife, 
good  for  general  use,  but  not  in- 


KINKS    OF   ALL    KINDS 


25 


tended  for  splitting  bones  or  wood. 
The  knife  can  be  cut  from  a 
piece  of  tempered  steel  with  cold 
chisel  and  file  and  after  riveting 
on  the  handle,  the  knife  can  be 


trial  was  with  aluminum  paint, 
which  wore  off  very  quickly.  Then 
we  tried  silver  leaf  with  sizing 
and  aluminum  color  in  size,  with 
almost  similar  results. 


k 

ground  and  finished  as  desired 
without  any  additional  tempering, 
as  it  is  not  necessary  to  draw  the 
temper  to  cut  the  knife  to  shape. 
A  grindstone,  with  water,  should 
be  used  to  finish  the  blade  to 
avoid  drawing  the  original  tem- 
per. 


BRIGHTENING    THE 
PHANTOM 

BY  H.  E.  NEUMANN 
About  five  miles  above  our  city 
the  Rock  River  is  rather  shallow 
with  a  gravelly  bottom.  It  is 
well  stocked  at  this  point  with 
small-mouth  black  bass,  but  the 
carp  have  also  found  their  way 
here  and  in  consequence  the  water 
is  not  as  clear  as  it  was  in  for- 
mer years.  This  fact  necessitates 
the  use  of  a  bright  bait  when 
casting. 

One  of  the  most  successful 
baits  in  use  here  is  a  Phantom 
Minnow,  but  the  anglers  soon 
found  that  the  color  on  the  Phan- 
tom did  not  last  very  long  and 
the  problem  has  been  to  find  a 
way  of  refinishing  them.  Our  first 


Finally  I  hit  upon  the  idea  of 
varnishing  the  minnow  with  a 
good  spar  varnish  and  after  about 
half  an  hour,  when  the  varnish 
had  become  tacky,  covering  it 
with  a  piece  of  tinfoil  cut  to  size. 
This  is  brighter  than  the  original 
minnow  and  does  not  come  off. 
It  also  adds  a  slight  weight, 
which  is  a  desirable  feature  with 
this  bait  and,  best  of  all,  it  gets 
the  bass. 


INDEXING    KINKS 

BY  F.  C.  HAJEK 
Ever     since     I     subscribed     to 
OUTER'S  BOOK  I  have  been  inter- 
ested in  the  Kinks  it  contains  each 


26 


KINKS    OF    ALL    KINDS 


month.  In  order  to  keep  a  line 
on  them  I  indexed  a  blank  note 
book  alphabetically  and  entered 
them  as  shown  in  the  diagram. 
If  I  want  information  on  a  cer- 
tain Kink  I  pick  up  my  index  book 
and  in  a  second  I  know  in  what 
issue  to  find  it. 


FISHING  FROM  THE  BANK 

BY  S.  C.  VANIER 

Nearly     everyone     who     fishes 

from  the  bank  of  a  river  or  creek 

has  tried  the  expedient  of  sticking 

the  butt  of  his  pole  into  a  hole  in 


\ 


the  ground  so  he  would  not  have 
to  hold  it  in  his  hands.  Then, 
every  time  you  pick  up  the  pole 
to  see  whether  you  have  a  bite, 
the  hole  crumbles  and  you  have 
to  dig  a  new  one.  A  couple  of 
forked  sticks,  which  you  can  cut 


on  the  spot,  will  remedy  this  diffi- 
culty and  give  you  a  much  better 
pole  holder  besides. 

Cut  a  fork-shaped  prong  about 
two  feet  long  and  rest  your  pole 
across  it.  To  keep  the  butt  from 
tilting  up,  cut  another  fork  with 
one  short  and  one  long  arm,  like 
a  figure  "7,"  and  hook  this  over 
the  butt  of  the  rod  to  keep  it 
down.  You  can  now  remove  your 
pole  and  put  it  back  again  as 
often  as  you  want.  Hide  the 
forks  in  the  bushes  near  your  fa- 
vorite fishing  hole  and  they  will 
always  be  ready  for  you. 


QUICK    COLORS    FOR 
BAITS 

BY  FRANK  C.  HAJEK 
Lately,  when  trying  out  home- 
made plugs,  I  have  colored  them 
with  lumber  crayon  instead  of  en- 
ameling them.  This  looks  as  good 
as  the  enamel  and  eliminates  the 
trouble  of  enameling  the  bait  in 
case  it  proves  worthless.  This 
crayon  resists  water  and  lasts 
quite  a  while.  It  is  cheap  and 
can  be  purchased  at  any  stationery 
store.  -I  carry  two  pieces  in  my 
tackle  box,  one  red  and  one  yel- 
low. 

A    HANDY    CAN-HANDLE 
KINK 

BY  W.  A.   STOWE 

When  a  sportsman  starts  out  on 
a  trip,  be  it  long  or  short,  he  tries 
to  keep  down  weight  and  bulk  of 
his  outfit  to  as  little  as  possible, 


KINKS    OF   ALL    KINDS 


27 


and  yet  leave  out  nothing  that  will 
be  necessary  to  his  comfort  or 
pleasure. 

But  when  the  time  comes  to 
pack  up  his  duffle  for  the  return 
trip,  the  enthusiasm  that  attended 
the  start  is  lacking.  Then  he 
would  like  to  just  walk  away  and 
leave  most  of  his  stuff  lie  where 
he  got  through  with  it. 

I  have  found  a  little  Kink  that 
costs  nothing  and  helps  a  little  to- 
ward this  desirabe  end. 

Many  sorts  of  provisions  and 
groceries  are  now  packed  in  fric- 
tion top  tin  cans  of  various  sizes, 
syrups  and  cooking  fats,  for  in- 
stance. 

Save  three  or  four  of  these  of 
the  sizes  you  will  need  most,  and 
when  you  take  a  camping  or 
canoe  trip  leave  your  stew  kettle, 
coffee  pot  and  such  utensils  at 
home  and  take  these  cans  instead. 

The  Kink  consists  of  having  two 
or  three  wire  bails  or  handles  for 
making  use  of  these  cans.  You 
can  make  these  bails  in  a  few  min- 
utes with  a  small  pair  of  pliers, 
and  they  will  last  for  years.  Any 
wire  that  has  a  little  springiness 
is  all  right;  piano  wire  or  old  bi- 
cycle spokes  are  perhaps  the  best. 
Make  three  or  four  different  sizes, 
but  of  such  size  that  they  will  go 
down  in  the  can  they  are  in^ 
tended  for  so  that  the  cover  can 
be  put  on.  Then  you  can  fill  your 
cans  with  milk  or  soup  or  coffee, 
for  instance,  push  the  bail  down 
into  the  can,  put  on  your  friction 
cover  and  you  can  safely  pack 
those  cans  of  liquids  anywhere  or 


let  them  roll  about  in  the  bottom 
of  your  canoe.  When  you  want 
your  hot  stuff  you  pry  off  the 
cover,  pull  up  the  bail  and  hang 
the  can  over  the  fire.  The  spring 


of  the  wire  holds  the  bail  up  and 
the  ends  against  the  sides  of  the 
can  where  the  eyes  in  the  ends  of 
the  wire  catch  under  the  rim  of 
the  can.  The  bail  automatically 
spreads  to  diametrically  opposed 


28 


KINKS    OF    ALL    KINDS 


points,  therefore  the  can  will  al- 
ways hang  plumb  from  it.  When 
your  trip  is  over  you  keep  the 
bails  and  can  the  cans.  The  cut 
explains  the  device  sufficiently. 


WATCH  SPRING  WEED 
GUARDS 

BY  H.  J.  LOUD 

Broken  pieces  of  mainspring, 
which  can  be  obtained  from  any 
watch  repairer,  make  excellent 
material  for  constructing  weed- 
guards.  A  turn  or  two  of  fine 
wire  and  a  drop  of  solder  fasten 
the  guard  to  the  hook  shank  and 
it  may  be  bent  to  any  shape  de- 
sired. 


I  have  found  the  shape  shown 
in  the  diagram  to  be  a  most  ef- 
fective one. 


AN  ANTPROOF  BREAD 
BOX 

BY  FRANK  E.  WILDER 
One  of  the  most  disagreeable 
experiences  of  camp  life  is  to 
come  home  after  a  long  fish  or 
hunt,  to  the  little  log  cabin  for  a 
good  supper  and  find  that  red  ants 
or  cockroaches  have  beaten  you  to 
it  by  several  hours.  What's  more, 
the  women  cannot  be  persuaded  to 
join  you  on  a  few  days'  fish  or 
hunt  if  they  are  "obliged  to  put 
up  with  the  nasty  insects."  You 
say  to  yourself,  "There  is  no  use 
trying  to  keep  food  from  hungry 


red  ants;  what  more  can  a  man 
do  than  to  put  his  food  into  a 
good  bread  box?" 


FLV 

PAPER 


Here  is  what  he  can  do  to  pre- 
vent those  unpleasant  raids  on  his 
food  supply  which  keep  his  wife 
from  being  with  him :  Buy  five 
cents'  worth  of  fly  paper.  Take  a 
sheet  and  cut  it  lengthwise  in 
strips.  Cover  the  back  of  one 
strip  with  paste  (a  mixture  of 
flour  and  water  can  be  used)  and 
place  it  horizontally  on  the  side 
of  your  food  container,  as  in  the 
diagram.  Continue  to  paste  on  the 
strips  in  the  same  manner  until 
you  have  completely  encircled 
your  container  with  fly  paper. 
Now  no  bug  that  walks  can  get 
into  your  bread  box  and  spoil  that 
big  meal  you  and  your  wife  are 
going  to  have  after  a  day  in  the 
open. 


A  SIMPLE  HOOK  RE- 
MOVER 

BY  J.  H.  ROBINSON 
Our   friend,   the   Horned   Pout, 
has    a    very   bad    habit    of    com- 
pletely swallowing  the  hook.    And 


KINKS    OF   ALL    KINDS 


29 


sometimes  it  is  your  last  hook  at 
that  and  you  haven't  even  a 
pocket  knife  handy.  Here's  a  sim- 
ple way  to  recover  your  property. 
Select  a  stick,  round  preferred, 
about  half  an  inch  thick  and  7  or 
8  in.  long.  Holding  the  fish  in  the 
left  hand,  pass  the  stick  down  into 
the  gullet  and  beyond  the  hook. 
Draw  the  line  up  taut  and  hold  it 
against  the  stick  with  the  right 
hand  at  the  point  marked  X  in 
diagram.  Let  go  of  the  fish  with 
the  left  hand  and  give  him  a  ro- 
tary twirl  around  the  stick.  You 
will  be  surprised  to  see  how  easily 
the  hook  becomes  loose  and  with- 
out being  bent  or  broken. 


A  GOOD  HOOK  TIE 

BY  MARTINI  SCHULDT 
The  diagrams     show     a  simple 
hitch   for  putting  a  hook  on  the 
end  of  a  line.    This  hitch  is  quite 


safe,  for  the  harder  the  pull  upon 
it  the  tighter  it  holds.  Yet  it  can 
be  unfastened  in  a  moment. 


Nearly  all  fly  fishermen  use  this 
same  hitch  for  tying  their  leaders 
to  their  line,  but  comparatively 
few  anglers  seem  to  have  caught 
the  idea  that  it  is  equally  good  for 
the  purpose  suggested  herewith. 


A    KNOCKED-DOWN    FIRE 
GRATE 

BY  F.  L.   MCALEAVEY 
The       accompanying      diagram 
shows    a    simple    grate    that    has 
proven    its    right    to    recognition 


among  those  who  cook  their  meals 
in  the  open. 

The  grate  proper  consists  of 
four  bars,  two  long  ones  for  side 
pieces  and  two  short  ones  for  end 
pieces.  These  bars  may  be  made 
any  length  desired,  but  if  the  short 
bars  are  made  half  the  length  of 
the  long  ones  they  will  pack  es- 
pecially well,  as  shown  in  the  dia- 
gram. The  bars  are  made  from 
y^  inch  by  V%  inch  iron,  and  near 
each  end  are  bored  holes  that  will 
readily  accommodate  a  ^-inch 
iron  rod. 

The  legs  are  simply  ^4-inch  iron 
rods,  14  inches  long,  pointed  at  one 
end  and  threaded  at  the  other,  so 


30 


KINKS    OF    ALL    KINDS 


as  to  allow  an  ordinary  nut  to  be 
screwed  down  on  them  for  about 
half  an  inch. 

The  diagrams  will  show  how  the 
grate  is  set  up  and  also  how 
compactly  it  may  be  strapped  for 
carrying.  This  grate  is  light, 
strong  and  inexpensive  to  build. 


THE   EMERGENCY    KIT 

BY  ARTHUR  W.  STEVENS 

Last  spring  when  OUTER'S  BOOK 
offered  the  Standard  Tackle  Box 
as  an  inducement  for  the  renewal 
of  subscriptions,  I  immediately 
decided  that  I  wanted  one.  My 
subscription  had  not  expired,  and 
I  didn't  need  any  inducement  to 
renew  when  I  did.  Also,  I  must 
confess,  I  am  not  much  of  a  fish- 
erman, so  you  might  be  interested 
in  knowing  the  use  to  which  the 
box  was  put. 

My  work  of  surveying  keeps 
me,  sometimes,  several  months  out 
of  reach  of  a  doctor,  and  it  be- 
hooves one  in  such  a  position  to 
equip  himself  with  some  sort  of 
an  emergency  medical  and  surgi- 
cal outfit.  None  of  the  prepared 
outfits  on  the  market  appealed  to 
me  as  the  right  thing;  but  the 
tackle  box,  with  its  numerous 
compartments,  seemed  to  offer  a 
possibility  of  making  up  an  outfit 
to  suit  my  own  needs.  It  has 
proved  so  successful  that  others 
might  wish  to  profit  by  my  experi- 
ence. 

The  contents  of  the  box  are  as 
follows : 

Two-inch  gauze  bandage. 

Small  roll  of  absorbent  cotton. 


Adhesive  tape. 

Phial  of  iodine  in  small  box  to 
prevent  breakage;  used  as  anti- 
septic. 

Potassium  permanganate  crys- 
tals, for  rattlesnake  bites  and  an- 
tiseptic. 

Compound  cathartic  pills. 

Cascarets. 

Potassium  chlorate  tablets,  for 
sore  throat. 

Carbolated  vaseline,  best  salve 
for  cracked  lips. 

Three-grain  quinine  capsules. 

Silver  tweezers. 

Short-handled  manicure  scis- 
sors. The  curved  shape  of  these 
scissors  gives  them  an  advantage 
over  ordinary  surgical  scissors  in 
cutting  away  loose  skin  and  such 
minor  surgical  operations  as  one 
will  ordinarily  be  called  upon  to 
perform. 

The  large  compartment  in  the 
upper  part  of  the  box  contains: 

One  package  of  picric  gauze, 
for  burns. 

Two  U.  S.  army  first-aid  pack- 
ets. 

This  list  is  given  merely  as  a 
suggestion.  The  really  practical 
part  of  it  is  that  the  contents  may 
be  made  up  to  suit  individual 
needs. 

I  might  add  that  just  a  few  sim- 
ple home  remedies  that  we  all 
know  how  to  use  are  all  I  have 
ever  found  use  for  in  the  moun- 
tains. The  more  complicated  out- 
fits recommended  by  medical  and 
surgical  men  are  all  right  for  the 
skilled  man ;  but  we,  in  our  ignor- 
ance, are  apt  to  get  our  wires 


KINKS    OF   ALL    KINDS 


31 


crossed  and  do  the  wrong  thing; 
therefore,  I  feel  safer  without 
them. 

.For  a  reference  book,  the  First 
Aid  Text  Book,  published  by  the 
American  Red  Cross,  Washing- 
ton, D.  C,  is  about  as  good  as  can 
be  obtained. 


A    HOME-MADE    FOLDING 
NET 

BY  L.  W.  MARTIN 
A  good  deal  of  my  angling 
equipment  is  home-made  or  home- 
improved.  So  when  I  saw  in  a 
sporting  goods  catalogue  a  land- 
ing net  with  a  short  folding 
handle  which  looked  desir- 
able to  me.  I  set 
about  to  build  one 
with  fairly 
good  results. 


planed  down  to  the  desired  weight 
and  width  with  a  spokeshave 
solved  the  mystery  of  the  hoop. 
For  the  throat  piece  another 
block  of  the  ^-inch  maple  was 
used  (C)  with  a  narrow  strip  of 
the  same  screwed  on  either  side 
(c'-c')  to  form  a  bed  or  socket  for 
the  end  of  the  handle  to  rest  in. 
The  handle  was  attached  to  the 
throat  block  by  a  small  hinge, 
which  allowed  it  to  swing  from 
the  center  of  the  hoop  to  the  bed 
where  it  fit  quite  snugly. 

Locking  the  handle  in  the  open 
position    was    the    next    difficulty. 


A  piece  of  2^-inch  hard  maple, 
planed  on  both  sides  and  shaped 
as  in  the  diagram  (A)  made  an 
excellent  handle.  For  the  sake  of 
lightness  and  looks,  I  even  cut  a 
couple  of  mortises  out  of  it  (b-b). 
A  piece  of  flour-barrel  hoop, 


This  was  finally  met  by  forming 
an  L-shaped  trigger  of  spring 
brass,  which  was  fastened  to  the 
under  side  of  the  handle  with  a 
couple  of  small  screws.  A  small 
hole  in  the  trigger  fitted  over  a 
stud  (D)  in  the  rear  of  the  throat 


32 


KINKS    OF    ALL    KINDS 


block.  The  stud  was  made  from 
another  small  screw  with  the  head 
filed  off.  The  trigger  was  left 
long  enough  so  that  it  can  readily 
be  released  from  the  stud  by  the 
index  finger.  When  locked  in 
place  it  is  almost  entirely  free 
from  strain. 

A  good  coat  of  varnish  com- 
pleted the  job.  The  net  bag  was 
not  a  difficult  thing  to  make. 


FOR  TROLLY  FISHERMEN 

BY  JOHN  CONNEL 
Fishing  with  the  trolly  line  is 
not  especially  a  fine  art,  but  once 
in  a  while  I  like  to  practice  it,  even 
when  up  among  the  bass  and 
pickerel  of  the  northern  lakes.  It 
is  a  relief  to  just  loaf  for  a  day 
and  go  after  pan  fish  by  a  lazy 
man's  methods. 

Now,    my    little    Kink    is    right 
here :       Most     anglers     use     gut 


hooks,  fastened  to  the  trolly  by 
a  short  bit  of  line.  About  a  half 
inch  from  each  hook  I  place  a 
single  small  split  shot  sinker.  This 
is  just  enough  to  keep  the  hooks 
from  swinging  and  tangling  with 
one  another  or  with  the  trolly 
line.  After  that,  just  bait  your 
hooks  and  "let  her  go."  Tie  the 
end  of  your  line  to  the  little 
dingle  bell  and  lie  back  and  loaf, 
waiting  for  the  tiny  alarm  to  tell 
you  when  there  is  "something 
doing." 


snelled  hooks  on  their  trolly 
line.  I  have  found  that  the 
snells  have  a  great  habit  of  twist- 
ing themselves  around  the  line, 
especially  if  there  is  the  least  bit 
of  wave  action  in  the  water.  So, 
instead  of  snells,  I  use  plain 


WHEN   THE   STREAM   GOT 
ROILY 

BY  WILFORD  R.  LUTZ 
I  was  talking  to  an  angler  this 
morning  who  read  me  a  kink  that 
he  had  some  experience  with  in 
Maine.  It  was  a  day  when  the 
fish  would  not  bite.  He  had  tried 
everything  in  the  line  of  flies 
from  a  Black  Gnat  to  a  Red 
Dragon,  without  much  success. 
He  was  whipping  a  stream  below 
some  gentle  rapids,  when  he  ac- 
cidentally caught  sight  of  the 
finest  school  of 
trout  that  fisher- 


man ever  saw.  He  tried  every- 
thing in  the  profession,  but  they 
would  not  bite. 

Just  at  that  time  some  cattle 
crossed  the  stream  a  little  above 
him  and  roiled  the  water.  He  saw 
the  roily  water  coming  and 


KINKS    OF   ALL    KINDS 


thought  the  "stuff  was  off."     But 
exactly  the  opposite  happened. 

As  soon  as  the  muddy  water 
struck  that  pool,  those  trout 
seemed  to  have  suddenly  gone 
crazy.  He  changed  from  flies  to 
a  worm  and  in  less  time  than  it 
takes  to  tell  he  had  landed  six  out 
of  that  school  of  beauties,  from 
a  half  pound  to  one  and  a  half 
pounds.  He  said  that  it  was  not 
very  sportsmanlike,  but  he  was 
out  of  meat. 

A  FISHERMAN'S  WAR 
BELT 

BY  V.  L.  MCKINLEY 
I  often  thought  about  a  way  to 
carry  a  light  but  complete  equip- 
ment for  a  day's  fishing  together 

12          3 


miscellany.  Not  very  often  do  I 
carry  a  rod.  Most  of  my  fishing 
is  on  streams  where  I  cut  a  pole 
on  the  spot,  so  my  equipment  is 
rather  simple. 

No.  2  is  a  light  sheath  knife, 
suitable  for  scaling  fish,  making 
shavings  for  the  fire  and  handy 
for  many  purposes.  No.  3  is  a, 
flat  bag  containing  the  culinary 
part  of  the  outfit.  If  you  are  very 
swell,  you  may  carry  in  it  a  7-in. 
frying  pan  with  a  folding  handle. 
As  for  me,  I  cut  off  the  handle  of 
an  ordinary  sheet  steel  skillet  and 
use  the  pliers  to  grip  it  with.  The 
bag  is  made  of  heavy  water- 
proofed muslin  with  a  drawstring 
on  the  top  and  belt  loops  on  the 
back.  Along  with  the  pan  I  carry 

f         5 


with  the  materials  for  a  warm 
noon  lunch,  the  whole  to  present 
a  minimum  of  weight  and  bother 
in  handling.  The  war  belt  Kink 
shown  in  the  diagram  solved  the 
problem  for  me. 

It  will  be  noticed  that  there  are 
five  articles  on  this  belt.  No.  1 
is  my  notion  case.  This  is  a  small 
tin  box  with  hinged  cover  and  a 
couple  of  belt  loops  riveted  on  the 
back.  Any  small  tin  box  will  an- 
swer the  purpose  or  a  small  car- 
tridge pouch  will  do  very  nicely. 
In  this  box  I  keep  my  line,  hooks, 
sinkers,  a  small  pair  of  pliers,  a 
waterproof  match  case  and  other 


in  this  bag  a  small  tin  can,  a 
couple  of  slices  of  bacon  and  a 
day's  supply  of  ground  coffee,  su- 
gar and  mixed  salt  and  pepper. 
The  three  latter  are  stowed  away 
in  old  Durham  tobacco  sacks  that 
have  been  previously  well  boiled 
so  they  will  not  flavor  the  food. 
About  four  slices  of  buttered 
bread  are  also  added.  The  tin 
can  holds  a  good  big  cupful  of 
water  and  in  it  I  boil  my  coffee, 
again  using  the  pliers  as  a  handle. 
After  lunch  I  use  sand  or  ashes 


34 


KINKS   OF   ALL    KINDS 


from  the  fire,  together  with  hot 
water  to  clean  the  grease  from  the 
frying  pan. 

No.  4  is  a  light  belt  axe.  It  is 
useful  in  cutting  through  the 
brush  to  get  at  those  likely  look- 
ing holes  and  is  worth  its  weight 
in  gold  when  building  a  hasty  fire 
after  an  unexpected  ducking. 

No.  5  is  a  pet  crotchet  of  my 
own,  an  Eagle  Folding  Landing 
Net.  The  leather  sheath  protects 
it  perfectly  from  the  brush,  yet  it 
can  be  extended  with  one  hand. 
By  using  it  carefully  I  manage  to 
catch  most  of  my  bait  with  it  also. 


AN  OUTDOOR  STOVE 

BY  JOSEPH  T.  SPROULE 
The  outdoor  stove  illustrated  in 
this  article  is  obviously  very  sim- 
ple, consisting  merely  of  two  logs 
and  three  keg  hoops.  The  hoops 
were  taken  off  of  an  old  keg  and 
bent  into  an  elliptical  form  which 
measured  3  or  4  inches  the  short 
way.  They  were  then  stored  with 


the  rest  of  the  camp  outfit  until 
needed. 

To  set  up  the  stove  all  that  is 
necessary  is  to  arrange  two  logs 
about  a  foot  apart  and  parallel  to 
the  direction  from  which  the  wind 
is  blowing.  Then  lay  the  hoops 


across  as  shown,  and  the  stove  is 
complete.  This  form  of  outdoor 
stove  is  very  convenient  in  that 
only  the  three  hoops  need  to  be 
carried  in  the  camp  outfit,  and 
efficient  in  that  most  of  the  heat 
is  concentrated  to  the  area  im- 
mediately beneath  the  cooking 
utensils. 


EARNING   THEIR  WAY 

BY  H.  B.  BOYCE 

When  traveling  very  light  one 
might  hesitate  considerably  before 
taking  along  even  an  extra  pair 
of  pants.  Of  course,  you  hope 


that  the  pair  you  have  on  will  see 
you  through.  But  "accidents  will 
happen"  and  the  nether  garments, 
in  particular,  seem  to  be  fatally 
inclined  to  mishaps.  The  diagrams 
show  a  neat  way  to  make  the 
extra  pair  of  pants  earn  their 
transportation. 

Make  a  shallow  bag,  the  same 
in  diameter  as  the  waistline  of  the 
pants.  Sew  the  edge  of  this  bag 
with  rough  stitches  to  the  waist 
of  the  partfs.  Then  turn  the  legs 
over  and  sew  them  also  to  the 


KINKS    OF   ALL    KINDS 


35 


bottom  of  the  bag.  Your  pants 
have  now  become  a  first-rate  pack 
sack.  Articles  may  be  put  in  and 
taken  out  through  the  fly,  and  the 
legs  form  the  shoulder  straps. 
And  if  anything  should  happen  to 
the  pants  you  have  on,  you  need 
only  rip  out  a  few  coarse  stitches 
to  make  the  extra  pair  available. 


A  MINNOW  BUCKET 
TRICK 

BY  Louis  J.  J.  TANSEY 
Sink  a  small  baking  powder  can 
in  your  minnow  bucket,  laying  the 
can  on  its  side  in  the  bottom  of 
the  bucket  so  that  the  minnows 
can  hide  in  it.  When  you  want  a 
minnow,  lift  the  can  out  quickly 
and  you  will  find  two  or  three  in 


it  every  time.  They  always  ap- 
pear to  be  the  largest  and  best 
ones  in  the  bucket,  too.  This 
saves  chasing  the  minnows  around 
or  spearing  at  them  with  a  little 


dip  net  whenever  you  want  one. 
(Courtesy  R.  D.  V.) 

A  CAMP  CANDLESTICK 

BY  V.  J.  NICHOLS 
A  candle  holder  in  camp  ?    Sure 
thing.    Take  a  split  stake,  a  bit  of 


birch  bark,  and  there  you  are.  The 
diagram  shows  the  combination 
better  than  words. 


IMPROVING    THE    MODEL 
1914  SAVAGE  .22 

BY  WM.  GUNRICH 
In  the  fall  of  1915  I  bought  my- 
self a  1914  model  Savage  rifle, 
.22  caliber,  tubular  magazine, 
which  I  fitted  with  Marble's  peep 
rear  and  Vicker's  Maxim  front 
sights.  I  now  thought  that  I  had 
an  ideal  rifle,  and  this  it  really 
proves  to  be. 

But  my  troubles  began  when  I 
went  out  hunting.  Going  along 
an  old  logging  road  one  bright 
morning  I  was  surprised  to  see  a 


36 


KINKS    OF   ALL    KINDS 


partridge  strutting  up  the  road 
right  ahead  of  me. 

Of  course,  here  was  a  chance 
to  try  the  new  gun,  so  putting  the 
Vicker's  Maxim  around  the 
bird's  head  I  pulled  the  trigger. 
The  result  was  a  distinct  click. 
Now  I  remembered  having  put  a 
shell  into  the  barrel,  so  this  some- 
what surprised  me.  But  on  look- 
ing it  over  I  found  the  action 
partly  open  and  no  shell  in  the 
barrel. 

Well,  I  pumped  in  another  shell 
and  kept  on,  carrying  the  gun  in 
one  hand,  clutched  around  the 
middle,  when  presently  I  noticed 
the  slide  handle  move  back.  I 
now  saw  what  caused  the  action 
to  open. 

In  carrying  the  gun  my  gloved 
hand  had  pressed  the  little  lever 
which  releases  the  action  when 
the  gun  is  to  be  opened  before 
firing.  This  lever  runs  from  in- 
stead of  to  the  receiver,  projecting 
at  the  front  end  for  a  distance 
of  about  a  half  inch  or  more.  I 
don't  exactly  remember  the  length. 

Now  it  occurred  to  me  that  if 
this  projection  were  not  so  long 
it  would  not  be  so  likely  to  be 
accidentally  pressed.  So  accord- 
ingly I  cut  it  off,  leaving  it  about 
three-sixteenths  of  an  inch  in 
length.  I  find  this  plenty  long  to 
release  the  action  when  I  wish  it 
to  be  released,  yet  too  short  to  be 
pressed  by  accident. 

Now  you  boys  who  do  not  own 
one  of  these  rifles  do  not  think 
that  the  rifle  is  no  good,  since  a 
better  rifle  is  not  made  of  this 


class.  This  one  little  defect 
(which  really  is  not  a  defect, 
since  in  target  shooting  the  longer 
projection  is  the  better  or  at  least 
might  be  a  little  handier)  can 
easily  be  remedied. 


A    TWIST    PREVENTER 

BY  DICK 

How  often  do  we  read  an  arti- 
cle written  by  some  of  our  best 
anglers  deploring  certain  baits  be- 
cause of  their  tendency,  in  fact 
their  sureness,  to  twist  and  snarl 
the  line  when  used  even  a  short 
time!  With  what  I  call  the 
Winged  Keel  (perhaps  the  editor 
can  give  it  a  better  name)  you  can 
use  the  following  .baits  for  hours 
with  little  or  no  twist  when  used 
or  reeled  at  fishable  speed:  The 
Archer  spinner,  Phantom  minnow, 
Pearl  wobbler,  Cornwall  spinner 
(with  shortened  wire),  pork, 
frogs,  shiners  and,  in  fact,  any 
bait  that  twists  or  turns  itself. 

Of  course,  the  Winged  Keel  is 
useless  on  any  bait  unless  a  swivel 
is  attached  either  on  bait  or  line 
below  keel. 

By  the  way,  the  Cornwall  spin- 
ner (shortened  wire)  is  a  dandy 
bait  to  cast,  and  it  sure  has 
proved  a  killer  for  bass  and  pick- 
erel in  the  hands  of  myself  and 
friends.  I  use  the"  bottled  shiners, 
they  being  hardy  and  tough,  and 
lasting  longer  than  freshly-killed 
bait  in  warm  weather. 

But  to  get  back  to  my  kink. 
Would  advise  adjusting  keel 
either  close  to  or  away  from 
swivel  as  needed  in  order  to  get 


KINKS    OF   ALL    KINDS 


37 


swing  of  bait,  the  keel  riding  on 
top  of  line,  wavering  when  being 
reeled  in. 

Take  a  winged  sinker  (Fig.  1), 
which  most  all  tackle  stores  sell, 


Ftq.l 


and  a  thin  tin  disc  cut  in  half  or 
folded  if  desired  (Fig.  2).  Sol- 
der to  back  or  under  side  of  sink- 
er (Fig.  3),  and  the  trick's  all 
done. 

The  tin  washer  used  for  tar 
paper,  tht  disc  on  a  circular  type- 
writer eraser  or  a  coin  cut  in  half 
will  do  nicely  and,  believe  me,  you 
can  cast  what  I  believe  to  be  some 
of  the  best  baits  on  the  market 
with  pleasure  and  with  no  regrets 
for  your  line. 


TROLLING  FROM  A 
CANOE 

BY  RUSSELL  MOEN 
Many  fishermen  think  a  canoe 
is  almost  useless  to  fish  from.  No 
comfort — too  tippy — can't  depend 
on  'em — just  for  Injuns,  etc.,  etc. 
Did  you  ever  fish  from  a  canoe? 
I  have  used  many  kinds  of  boats, 
but  for  trolling  my  canoe  is  my 
favorite.  Here  is  my  method  of 
using  it: 

If  fishing  the  left  bank  of  the 
river  I  paddle  on  the  right  side 
of  the  canoe.  I  place  the  butt  of 
the  rod  under  the  right  knee  with 
the  rod  resting  across  the  gun- 
wales so  that  the  reel  just  clears 
the  right  gunwale,  allowing  it  to 
run  freely  when  the  strike  comes. 
I  press  the  left  knee  against  the 
left  gunwale  with  the  rod  resting 
against  it.  This  holds  the  rod 


38 


KINKS    OF   ALL   KINDS 


rigidly  in  position.  The  bait 
comes  trolling  along  quietly  on 
the  left  side  of  the  canoe  toward 
shore  and  the  paddle,  on  the  right 
side  away  from  the  rod,  line  and 
bait,  makes  very  little  fuss. 

This  method  is  practical  and  lots 
of  fun.    Try  it  out  and  see. 

AN   INGENIOUS  TACKLE 
BOX 

BY  C.  M.  MULL 
The  main  idea  in  designing  this 
tackle  box  was  to  have  my  com- 
plete outfit  with  me  all  the  time, 
strapped  to  me  so  that  it  was 
easy  to  carry  yet  entirely  out  of 
the  way.  At  the  same  time  the 
contents  of  the  box  must  be  easy 


and  six  inches  wide.  The  exact 
size  should,  of  course,  be  deter- 
mined by  the  amount  of  tackle  to 
be  carried.  The  trays  and  box 
proper  are  built  of  a  good  grade 
of  hardwood  or  a  very  good  grade 
of  pattern  lumber.  The  'pattern 
lumber  will  weigh  the  least.  The 
entire  interior  should  be  given 
two  or  three  coats  of  shellac.  The 
outside  is  intended  to  be  covered 
with  a  heavy  water-resisting 
brown  canvas,  fitted  well  to  the 
box  and  then  put  on  with  a  heavy 
coat  of  shellac. 

The  drawers  themselves  have 
several  unusual  features.  First  of 
these  is  the  sling  that  enables  the 
drawers  to  be  pulled  clear  out  and 
rested  horizontally  on  the  top  of 
the  box  without  falling  off.  The 


S|3aee  for 
Reels,  Hooks.; 
Lines,  get. 


Sj 

/^     t          U         1           I          U~~ 

Mx»*J  OnP<ihhfrB<».n<) 

SKaRovy 

£x 

•^ 

^-. 

Tray 

For  Spoons, 

^ 

L       U/oaJen  Sfi'rlr  fa  Ho(d  fi  ifl  Huoki 

Fu. 

to  get  at.  Every  single  piece 
should  be  accessible  without  re- 
sorting to  laying  anything  down 
to  get  at  anything  else. 

The  box  as  diagramed  is  about 
one  foot  long,  seven  inches   deep 


Cross  Section 

Deep  Tray  Open, 

cross-section  diagram  shows  how 
one  of  these  slings  work.  A  wire 
is  put  in  each  back  corner  of  the 
box  and  fastened  top  and  bottom, 
so  that  a  small  ring  will  slide 
freely  on  it.  To  this  ring  a  bit 


KINKS    OF    ALL    KINDS 


39 


of  stout  cord  is  fastened  and  run 
to  the  top  back  corner  of  the 
drawer.  This  string  is  just  long 
enough  to  allow  the  drawer  to 
rest  horizontally  on  the  top  of 
the  box  without  tipping  or  falling 
off.  The  forward  drawer  has  the 
same  arrangement  except  that  the 
two  wires  are  fastened  to  the  ends 
of  the  box  and  act  in  addition  as 
runs  between  the  two  drawers. 

It  will  be  observed  that  the  par- 
titions of  the  smaller  compart- 
ments, intended  for  hooks,  sink- 
ers, etc.,  are  set  in  on  a  slant. 
This  is  to  keep  the  contents  from 
falling  out  while  the  drawer  is 
being  lifted  up.  The  two  larger 
compartments  are  intended  for 
reels  and  do  not  need  to  have  the 
partitions  slanted. 

The  shallow  tray  is  made  deep 
enough  to  hold  the  thickest  plug 
or  spoon  hook.  Along  the  top  of 
this  tray  is  a  row  of  hooks  at- 
tached to  a  rubber  band,  which  is 
tacked  to  the  box  between  each 
two  hooks.  About  a  half-inch 
from  the  lower  end  of  the  drawer 
and  a  quarter  of  an  inch  from 
the  bottom  a  small  hardwood  rod 
is  run  from  side  to  side.  By 
hooking  the  tail  gang  of  a  bait 
over  this  rod  and  attaching  the 
swivel  to  one  of  the  small  hooks 
fastened  to  the  rubber  band,  the 
bait  is  suspended  perfectly,  so  that 
it  will  not  be  thrown  around, 
scratched  or  tangled  with  the 
other  baits. 

A  fold  of  the  canvas  cover,  fast- 
ened with  a  strap  and  buckle, 
forms  the  lid  of  the  box.  Buckles 


are  attached  at  each  end  for  fast- 
ening the  shoulder  strap.  Two 
snap  hooks  are  placed  lower  down 
for  fastening  a  strap  to  go  around 


the  body  and  keep  the  box  from 
swinging  while  casting.  If  the  box 
is  carried  on  the  back  of  the  hips, 
the  snap  can  readily  be  unfastened, 
so  that  it  may  be  swung  around 
to  get  at  the  contents.  Two  more 
snaps  can  be  put  on  the  front  of 
the  box  to  suspend  a  creel  from. 


FOOLING    THE    SMALL 
MOUTHS 

BY  BASS  FISHERMAN 
While  bass  fishing  in  a  small 
stream  in  the  Middle  West,  But- 
ler County,  Ohio,  to  be  more  ex- 
plicit, I  was  bothered  by  having 
the  bass  make  exceptionally  long 
runs  with  the  bait  (was  using 
soft  crawfish),  with  the  resultant 
trouble  of  having  the  line  foul 


40 


KINKS    OF    ALL    KINDS 


and  losing  strike  after  strike. 
After  having  lost  about  a  dozen 
fish  in  this  manner  on  each  of  two 
consecutive  afternoons'  fishing, 
and  not  being  able  to  connect  in 
any  manner  that  I  tried,  I  started 
to  study  the  situation  with  the  idea 
of  putting  one  over  on  Mr.  Small 
Mouth. 

After  considering  and  rejecting 
several  plans  I  finally  evolved  this 
idea.  Being  a  bait  caster  as  well 
as  live  bait  fisherman,  I  had  in 
my  tackle  box  a  small  spoon  with 
one  treble  hook.  On  my  next  try 
for  bass  in  the  long  hole  I  took 
this  treble  hook  and  a  spool  of 
silk  thread  with  me.  Procuring 
a  nice  bucket  of  craws  I  com- 
menced operations  by  impaling  the 
craw  close  to  the  body  with  one 
hook  of  the  treble,  binding  the 
tail  to  the  shank  with  a  few  turns 
of  silk  thread.  The  first  cast  was 
productive  of  a  strike.  Keeping 
my  thumb  on  the  reel  I  waited 
until  the  tip  of  the  rod  started  to 
bend — then  struck  with  the  result 
Mr.  Bass  was  hooked  fair  in  the 
mouth  and  after  a  nice  fight 
creeled.  Eleven  more  followed 
suit.  This  little  kink  netted  me 
twelve  out  of  thirteen  strikes. 
The  thirteenth  bass  was  such  a 
good  one  that  he  carried  the 
hooks  off  with  him. 

While  it  is  customary  to  use  one 
hook  in  bait  fishing,  I  do  not  be- 
lieve that  this  can  be  considered 
unsportsmanlike.  I  do  not  think 
that  it  was  so  much  the  three- 
hook  feature  that  netted  good  re- 
sults as  the  manner  of  presenta- 


tion of  the  bait.  While  I  do  not 
employ  this  kind  of  means  or- 
dinarily it  did  the  trick  when  all 
other  methods  failed  in  a  peculiar 
circumstance. 

MY    HOME-MADE   TACKLE 
BOX 

BY  A.  A.  HODGES 

How  many  times  has  the  ques- 
tion been  asked  in  this  maga- 
zine, "What  is  the  best  way  to 
carry  bass  plugs?"  There  is  al- 
ways something  new  to  be  tried 
out,  or  your  friend  tells  you  of 
a  bait  which  was  the  only  thing 
"they"  would  look  at  on  a  certain 
lake.  Of  course,  you  buy  one  to 
add  to  the  collection  and  then 
wonder  where  you  are  going  to 
put  it.  I  used  to  carry  mine 
around  packed  in  their  original 
boxes  in  a  small  leather  grip. 
Usually  the  bait  I  wanted  was  at 
the  very  bottom,  and  more  than 
once  I  would  find  that  it  had  come 
out  of  the  box  and  mingled  lov- 
ingly with  several  others  th^t 
were  rattling  around  loose.  So  I 
decided  that  it  was  about  time 
to  figure  out  some  better  method. 

I  picked  up  a  small  leather  case 
which  had  been  discarded  by  a 
traveling  salesman  and  started 
with  that  as  my  base.  The  out- 
side dimensions  were  12^x9x3 
inches.  From  a  tin  shop  T 
bought  some  sheet  zinc,  the  cost, 
by  the  way,  being  thirty  cents. 
A  wood  block  or  form  was  made 
to  fit  the  case  arid  the  zinc  shaped 
over  it  to  make  the  lining.  The 
corners  were  soldered  and  the 


KINKS    OF   ALL    KINDS 


41 


zinc  box  then  fitted  snugly  into 
the  case  with  two  rivets  to  hold 
it  on  each  side.  The  form  or 
block  was  then  planed  a  little  on 
the  sides  and  ends  and  the  tray 
made  over  it.  In  the  tray  I 


lapped  the  corners  and  turned 
back  the  edges  so  as  to  make  it 
stronger  and  leave  no  sharp 
edges. 

Then  came  the  partitions.  In 
the  tray  the  compartments  were 
made  to  fit  the  baits  I  had.  It 
holds  eleven  baits,  each  in  its  own 
place  and  every  one  in  sight.  The 
lower  part  has  wider  compart- 
ments and  holds  extra  baits,  lead- 
ers, snelled  hooks,  a  pair  of  pliers, 
small  file,  spoons,  bucktails,  extra 
hooks  and  spinners  for  the  baits, 
etc. 

As  every  thing  fits  tight  there  is 
no  rattling  and  nothing  loose.  A 
set  of  brass  corners  cost  40c  more, 
and  with  a  couple  of  coats  of  spar 
varnish  I  have  the  handiest  com- 
bination tackle  and  bait  box  for 


less  than  $1.00  and  all  the  fun  of 
planning  and  making  it. 

The  zinc  is  light  in  weight  and 
will  not  rust.  Solder  runs  very 
easily  and  smoothly  on  it.  All 
rough  or  sharp  etfges  can  be  taken 
off  with  a  file.  The  brass  corners 
are  riveted  to  the  zinc  on  the  bot- 
tom of  the  case  and  on  the  cover 
they  are  just  nailed  with  small 
brass  brads  and  clinched  on  the 
inside. 

As  the  case  itself  was  only  54-in. 
wood  the  zinc  lining  has  made  the 
whole  thing  exceptionally  strong, 
and  it  can  stand  some  hard 
knocks.  Of  course,  you  can't  put 
it  in  your  pocket,  but  it  takes  up 
very  little  room. 

CARTRIDGE  BELTS 

BY  A.  W.  STEVENS 
Do    you    prefer   to    carry   your 
cartridges   in   a  belt,   but  refrain 
from  doing  so  because  they   slip 


out  and  are  lost?  A  strip  of 
rather  thick  leather  sewed  on  the 
belt  a  short  distance  above  the 
loops  will  help  hold  the  cartridges 


42 


KINKS    OF    ALL    KINDS 


in.    This  is  not  an  absolute  insur- 
ance against  loss,  but  it  helps. 

To  carry  cartridges  in  a  belt 
made  for  cartridges  of  a  larger 
size,  lace  a  leather  thong  or  thick 
string  through  Jhe  loops.  If  there 
is  still  too  much  room,  lace  back 
again  so  as  to  cross  the  strings. 


MOUNTING    LEADERS 
SIMPLY 

BY  H.  W.  BUCK,  JR. 

Some  of  us  like  to  tie  our  own 
leaders,  but  after  they  are  com- 
pleted they  may  be  somewhat  of 
a  problem  if  simply  coiled  and  put 
together  in  a  pocket  of  the  tackle 
book.  Even  if  kept  separately, 
sorted  as  to  size  and  length,  there 
is  always  the  trouble  of  pulling 
out  three  or  four  when  we  want 
only  one.  A  very  little  trouble 
when  the  leaders  are  tied  enables 
me  to  have  them  in  perfect  order 


slits  as  shown  in  Fig.  1.  With 
a  sharp  pen-knife  a  half-dozen  of 
the  squares  may  be  slit  at  one 
time. 

With  the  pen-knife  slightly  lift 
the  tabs  made  by  these  slits.  Now 
coil  the  leader  under  the  four 
tabs. 

After  the  leader  is  in  place  take 
a  strip  of  the  same  bond  paper 
used  in  the  card,  having  this  strip 
about  the  same  width  as  the  tabs 
on  the  card  and  long  enough  to 
reach  from  the  back  of  one  tab 
to  the  back  of  the  one  on  the  other 
corner  of  the  card.  With  the 
leader  toward  you  press  a  tab 
down  through  the  opening  enough 
to  let  the  strip  of  paper  pass,  thus 
enclosing  the  leader  under  tab. 
Push  the  strip  through  the  open- 
ing made  at  front  of  tab  as  in 
Fig.  2. 

Now  press  tab  opposite  down 
and  run  strip  through  from  under 


and  labeled.  It  is  done  by  a  sim- 
ple method  of  carding.  The  de- 
scription may  sound  very  involved, 
but  the  method  is  simplicity  itself 
and  the  cards  may  be  used  time 
and  again. 

Take  very  stiff  bond  paper  and 
cut  it  in  squares  of  any  required 
size  for  a  leader  card;  then  cut 


side.  This  completes  the  fasten- 
ing of  the  first  strip  of  paper.  Re- 
peat this  operation  with  another 
strip  of  paper  and  the  two  remain- 
ing tabs  and  the  leader  is  securely 
bound. 

A  drop  of  paste  where  the  slips 
cross  at  the  back  will  prevent 
them  from  being  displaced,  and 


KINKS    OF   ALL   KINDS 


43 


another  drop  tinder  the  strips  will 
fasten  them  securely  to  the  card. 
This  is  not  really  necessary  if  the 
strips  fit  snugly.  Fig.  3  shows  the 
way  it  looks  when  completed. 

This  sounds  very  difficult,  but 
it  is  really  quite  simple  and  is 
very  quickly  done.  The  cards  are 
then  marked  and  the  leaders  are 
ready  for  storing  in  the  tackle 
book. 


THE  BLUEGILL  TIP-UP 

BY  GEO.  W.  HARVEY 
When  fishing  for  bluegills  in 
the  old  way  with  a  half  dozen 
lines  tied  to  the  gunwales  of  the 
boat,  one  has  to  feel  the  lines 
with  his  hands  to  see  whether  he 
has  any  bites  or  not.  Frequently 
one  does  this  feeling  at  exactly 
the  wrong  time  so  that  one  scares 
the  fish  away. 

Now  I  just  take  a  few  staples 
or   double-pointed     carpet     brads 


and  drive  them  into  the  gunwales 
of  the  boat  so  that  I  can  slip  a 
tapered  twig  or  a  bit  of  whittled 
lath  under  them.  With  the  line 


becomes  a  tip-up  to  signal  when 
I  have  a  bite  on  any  of  my  hooks. 
With  this  arrangement  it  is  easy 
to  tend  to  half  a  dozen  lines,  and 
I  rarely  lose  any  bites. 

HOT    BISCUIT   TO    ORDER 

BY  E.  S.  BROOKS 
Did  you  ever  wish  you  had  some 
warm  biscuit  for  supper  when  on 
a    fishing    trip    and    nowhere    to 
bake  them?     Well,  try  this. 

Make   a   rather   stiff    dough   of 
your  pancake   flour,   stiff  enough 


so  it  will  hold  its  shape.  Then 
take  a  stick  on  which  there  are  a 
couple  of  prongs  two  or  three 
inches  long.  Place  the  dough  on 
the  stick  above  the  prongs,  pass- 
ing the  stick  through  the  center 
of  the  dough.  Tie  a  string  to 
upper  end  of  stick  and  hang  it 
before  your  fire.  Give  it  a  twist 
or  two  so  it  will  revolve,  thus 


44 


KINKS    OF   ALL    KINDS 


turning  all  sides  to  the  fire.-  If  it 
begins  to  burn  move  it  a  little 
farther  from  the  fire. 

Will  bake  in  ten  to  fifteen  min- 
utes. Keep  the  dough  revolving 
all  the  time  or  it  will  bake  on 
only  one  side.  Don't  hang  it  over 
the  fire,  but  at  one  side  and  about 
ten  inches  from  the  ground. 


DRIVING    SPLITTING 
STAKES 

BY  WALTER  K.  SMITH 
When  driving  a  wooden  tent  pin 
that  looks  as  though  it  might  split, 
take  a  ^-inch  or  ^-inch  rope 
(usually  the  guy  rope  that  the 
stake  is  intended  for)  and  wind  it 
tightly  around  the  stake,  begin- 
ning about  two  inches  below  the 
top  and  winding  until  the  rope  is 
about  even  with  the  top  of  stake. 
Hold  the  rope  with  the  left  hand 
and  drive  stake  with  the  right. 

A  TIN  CAN  OUTFIT 

BY  F.  W.  KENDALL 
This  outfit  is  made  from  used 
cans  from  the  household  supplies. 
The  tools  used  are  a  tack  hammer, 
an  old  pair  of  shears,  a  pair  of 
pliers  and  a  nail.  The  time  of 
making  is  about  four  hours,  with 
no  cash  outlay. 

The  outfit  is  intended  for  two 
people,  but  with  the  addition  of 
cups  and  plates,  a  couple  more  may 
be  served. 

To  make  the  stove,  get  two  gal- 
lon fruit  cans  and  cut  out  the 
tops  and  bottoms,  leaving  the 
seamed  edges  for  stiffness.  Cut 
the  cans  up  the  sides  to  the 


top,  then  each  way  close  under 
the  rims,  leaving  half  the  top 
uncut.  Straighten  out  the  cut 
flaps.  Place  the  caps  about  16 
inches  apart,  then  measure  for 
the  side  pieces.  Seam  on  these 
and  pound  flat.  Cut  a  piece  of  tin 
for  a  spider  brace  to  go  on  the 
top.  Make  this  an  inch  large  all 
around  and  then  cut  in  gashes  so 
the  tin  may  be  bent  about  the  wire 
rims  of  the  holes.  Bend  down 
the  ends  of  the  spider  over  the 
sides  of  the  stove,  punch  holes 
through  the  ends  and  through  the 
seams.  Make  wire  staples  of  hay 
bale  wire,  or  the  like.  Place  these 
in  holes  and  hammer  the  ends 
tight  down. 

Use  small  round  boxes  for  the 
stovepipe.  Cut  out  the  bottoms 
and  hammer  the  edges  flat.  One 
can  is  cut  off  at  an  angle  for  the 
stove  collar.  Place  the  oblique 
end  against  the  stove  and  mark 
for  the  smoke  hole.  Cut  out  the 
tin  so  as  to  leave  a  half-inch  mar- 
gin from  the  line.  Score  this 
margin  to  the  line  every  half-inch, 
making  tabs  to  hold  the  pipe  in 
place.  Bend  every  other  tab  out, 
then  place  the  pipe  inside  these 
and  bend  all  the  tabs  to  fit.  Fas- 
ten the  point  of  the  pipe  and  the 
lowest  tab  by  a  stable  rivet. 
Crimp  one  end  of  each  box  so 
that  they  fit  one  over  the  other. 
Use  pieces  of  tin  for  stove  covers. 

Dig  out  the  dirt  under  the  edge 
of  the  stove  when  in  use  for 
draught. 

The  fry  pan  is  made  from  an 
octagon  of  tin  with  one  side  made 


KINKS    OF    ALL    KINDS 


45 


6X7"X/4"  A  Can   Cu-b  for  an  End 


\    1       7 


of   fr 


yb 


Layout  fo \r  12. 


(I)     ^^rJhVn7^ 

— v— >^— 


46 


KINKS    OF    ALL    KINDS 


double  into  a  socket  for  the  han- 
dle. This  handle  is  made  by  form- 
ing a  tin  tube  with  the  end  ham- 
mered flat  and  bent  to  shape. 

Use  small  can  for  cups  so  that 
they  will  nest.  The  handles  are 
detachable.  Make  these  of  strips 
of  tin  doubled  over  twice  and 
pounded  flat,  then  formed  to  shape. 
The  spring  of  the  handle  keeps 
them  firmly  on  the  cups.  Ham- 
mer the  rims  of  the  pails  flat  so 
the  liquids  will  pour  better.  Make 
the  bails  of  any  annealed  wire 
bent  to  fit. 

Additions  may  be  made  to  this 
outfit  to  meet  the  user's  needs. 


I  have  found  the  size  here  given 
large  enough  for  ordinary  fishes 
with  scales  not  easily  detachable. 
Of  course  a  machine  hacksaw 
blade  may  be  used.  I  use  an  "all 
hard"  blade  with  sharp  teeth. 


FISH  SCALER  AND  KNIFE 

BY  A.  P.  JONES 
I    am    enclosing    sketch    of    a 
home-made  fish  sealer  and  knife 
which  has  given  me  better  satis- 
faction   than    anything     I     have 

"t A 


THE   CANOE   SHELTER 
TENT 

BY  NORMAN  F.  MORSE 
Here  is  a  light,  quick-pitching 
canoe  shelter  that  has  come  out 
with  colors  flying  in  a  service  dat- 
ing from  1900,  for  the  one  I  now 
have  was  made  in  that  year.  It 
goes  along  on  all  our  trips.  We 
often  pitch  the  tent  without  the 
canoe,  using  it  as  a  lean-to;  it  is 
always  spread  as  a  cloth  to  eat  on 
when  friend  wife  goes  along  for 
the  day  only,  and  between  stops 
it  makes  a  fine  pack  cloth. 
Flattened  out,  the  tent  makes  a 


-B- 


Grind  lo  edge — ^ 

found  in  the  stores.  Referring  to 
the  diagram,  A  is  hacksaw  blade, 
9-16  in.  wide,  14  teeth  to  the  inch, 
2^4  in.  long  outside  the  handle. 
The  teeth  on  the  blade  point  to- 
wards the  handle.  B  is  hardwood 
handle,  2^  in.  long.  Slot  with 
hacksaw;  insert  blade;  rivet  as 
shown,  and  wind  with  No.  22  cop- 
per wire.  Grind  the  back  of  the 
Wade  to  a  knife  edge  if  desired. 


Copper  Wire 


plain  sheet,  seven  by  twelve  feet 
in  size.  Only  the  center  panel, 
five  by  seven  feet,  is  made  of 
heavy  duck  for  the  roof.  The  two 
end  panels,  each  three  feet  six  by 
seven  feet,  which  form  the  walls, 
are  made  of  drilling  to  save  weight 
and  bulk.  Small  grommets  are 
put  in,  one  in  each  outside  cor- 
ner, one  in  each  corner  of  the 
roof,  one  in  the  middle  of  the 


KINKS    OF   ALL   KINDS 


47 


back  of  the  roof  and  one  large 
grommet  in  the  middle  of  the 
front  of  the  roof. 

The  regular  pitch  is  made  by 
setting  the  canoe  up  on  edge,  bot- 
tom to  windward,  propping  it  by 
a  couple  of  forked  sticks.  A  long 
"Silver  Lake"  cord  is  tied  to  one 
of  the  corner  grommets  in  the 


The  front  guy  cords  are  next 
passed  out  to  convenient  trees  or 
else  over  forked  sticks  and  then 
pegged  down.  Rocks  or  logs  hold 
the  sides  to  the  ground  (there  is 
plenty  of  slack  for  these),  and  the 
tent  is  pitched.  Takes  a  little 
longer  to  do  than  to  tell.  The  big 
grommet  in  the  center  of  the  front 


roof,  run  around  over  the  bottom 
of  the  canoe,  passed  through  a 
thwart  and  then  run  back  up  over 
the  bottom  of  the  canoe  and 
through  the  center  grommet. 
From  here  it  is  run  back  down 
over  the  bottom  of  the  canoe, 
passed  through  the  other  thwart 
and  back  up  to  the  grommet  in 
the  other  corner  of  the  roof, 
where  it  is  made  fast.  From  the 
rear  the  cord  looks  like  a  capital 
"W"  run  over  the  bottom  of  the 
canoe.  The  tent  laps  enough  over 
the  top  edge  of  the  canoe  to  shed 
water. 


edge  is  for  an  extra  post  if  it  is 
raining,  as  the  roof  sheds  water 
better  that  way.  This  gives  a 
roomy  shelter,  five  by  seven  feet, 
and  plenty  high  enough  to  crawl 
into,  with  the  extra  space  of  the 
canoe  back  of  it  to  protect  duffle. 


A  HOME-MADE  ROD  TIP 

BY  DEAN  O.  SMITH 

Some  time  ago  I  broke  the  tip 
of  my  bamboo  casting  rod  and, 
since  the  rod  was  an  inexpensive 
one  and  I  did  not  wish  to  pur- 
chase a  new  tip  joint,  I  made  a 


48 


KINKS    OF   ALL    KINDS 


tip  that  has  given  very  satisfac- 
tory service. 

I  happened  to  have  an  old-style 
telephone  receiver  which  was  fit- 
ted with  a  detachable  cord.  The 
ends  of  this  cord  were  tipped  with 


small  brass  pins  and  the  joint  be- 
tween the  cord  and  the  brass  tip 
was  protected  by  a  ferrule  which 
slipped  down  over  the  tip.  I  re- 
moved the  ferrule  and  dressed 
down  the  tip  so  the  ferrule  would 
fit  tightly  over  the  end  and  ce- 
mented it  on.  I  drilled  a  small 
hole  in  the  end  of  the  rod, 
screwed  in  a  small  nickeled 
screw-eye,  leaving  about  one- 
eighth  of  an  inch  of  the  shank 
projecting  from  the  hole.  I  then 
bent  the  eye  quite  sharply  upward 
and  soldered  the  eye  so  that  it  was 
closed  all  the  way  around  and 
smoothed  the  joint  with  fine  em- 
ery paper.  I  also  soldered  around 
the  hole  where  the  screw-eye  en- 
tered the  ferrule,  thus  making  the 
tip  water-tight.  Do  not  bend  the 
screw-eye  before  screwing  it  into 
the  tip  because  if  the  twist  of 
screwing  it  in  comes  at  an  angle 
from  the  side  rather  than  straight, 
the  eye  will  likely  break  off  at 
the  bend.  I  rewrapped  and  revar- 
nished  the  rod,  and  while  it  is 
now  shorter  by  some  eight  inches, 


it  is  just  the  thing  for  the  small, 
brushy  streams. 

A  standard  onion  crate  makes 
as  fine  a  live  box  for  use  in  a 
camp  as  anything  I  have  ever 
used.  The  slats  are  placed  about 
a  half-inch  apart  and  the  crate  is 
large  enough  to  hold  fish  up  to 
two  feet  in  length.  When  not  in 
use  the  crate  folds  up  and  takes 
up  very  little  space  in  your  equip- 
ment. 


A  SLIDE  FLOAT  ARRANGE- 
MENT 

BY  A.  B.  COTTER 
Take  a  large  cork  float.  With 
a  pair  of  pliers  pull  out  the  round 
piece  of  wood  that  goes  through 
the  float.  Get  a  piece  of  cane 
(bamboo),  the  same  size  of  the 
wood  that  was  taken  out  of  the 
float.  Push  it  through  float,  trim 
the  ends  smooth  and  even  with  the 


top  and  bottom  of  the  float.  Care- 
fully round  out  each  end  of  the 
stem  so  it  will  not  cut  line.  Pass 
line  through  cork.  Fit  sinker  and 
hook  on  line  and  use  a  small  bot- 
tle cork  on  line  the  depth  wanted 
to  fish. 

Now,    when   you   want   to   fish 


KINKS    OF    ALL    KINDS 


49 


three,  four  or  five  feet,  your  cork 
will  slide  down  to  the  sinker  and 
all  the  weight  will  be  at  the  end 
of  the  line,  so  that  a  cast  can  be 
made  much  easier  than  if  the 
cork  is  some  distance  from  the 
end.  When  the  line  strikes  the 
water  the  line  will  run  through 
the  cork  and  stop  when  the  small 
cork  strikes  the  larger  one. 


A  HANDY  HOOK  HOLDER 

BY  N.  C.  BURNHAM 
I  have  an  article  in  my  fishing 
kit  for  holding  snelled  hooks  and 
for  keeping  small  sinkers,  split 
shot,  swivels,  connecting  links,  etc., 
that  is  very  handy,  and  I  have 
never  seen  another  like  it.  I  cut 
off  a  pine  curtain  pole  so  it  would 
be  just  a  little  longer  than  a 
snelled  hook,  and  so  the  hole  in 
the  end  of  the  pole  (the  hole  that 
holds  the  curtain  spring)  would 
extend  nearly  through.  Then  I 
fastened  a  piece  of  cork  on  the 
solid  end  with  a  couple  of  brads. 
The  hooks  are  stuck  into  the  cork 
and  the  snells  fastened  to  the  pole 
with  a  rubber  band  or  two. 

A  cork  can  be  fitted  to  the  hole 
in  the  opposite  end  and  the  hole 


,  *~M+*  a*-*  — - , 


i^fe) 


used  for  the  small  things — split 
shot,  etc.  A  cloth  case  can  be 
made  to  slip  over  the  whole  thing. 
I  use  the  drill  case  that  came  with 
a  jointed  rifle  rod.  I  have  used 
my  holder  now  for  several  years 
and  I  could  scarcely  get  along 


without  it.  It  keeps  the  snells 
from  curling  up  and  getting  tan- 
gled, and  the  small  things  togeth- 
er where  they  can  be  gotten  at 
handily.  The  drawing  will  make 
it  clear. 


A  MOTOR  HINGE 

BY   FRED   RUPERT 

Outboard  motors  are  a  great 
blessing  to  the  fisherman,  but 
when  one  gets  up  into  shallow  wa- 


ter, especially  if  one  wants  to  do 
any  casting,  the  propeller  fre- 
quently catches  on  the  bottom. 

To  overcome  this  I  hinged  the 
top  four  inches  of  the  stern  board 
of  my  row  boat  and  hang  the 
motor  to  this.  Now  when  I  get 
into  shallow  water  I  simply  pull 
off  the  rudder  handle  and  tip  the 
motor  forward  so  that  the  pro- 
peller is  brought  free  from  the 
water. 

I  use  four  stout  hinges,  the  cen^- 
ter  pair  eight  inches  apart,  to  al- 
low of  the  motor  being  hung  be- 
tween them.  At  either  end  I  also 
place  an  extra  piece  of  steel  to 
act  as  a  brace,  and  take  the  weight 
off  of  the  hinges. 

This  device  also  protects  the 
rudder  and  propeller  if  they  hap- 


50 


KINKS    OF    ALL    KINDS 


pen  to  strike  something  when  run- 
ning, as  the  motor  will  simply  tip 
forward  and  allow  the  propeller 
to  rise. 


THE  OVERALL  PACK 

BY  BULL  HART 

Just  tie  the  legs  and  fill  up  the 
old  bib  overalls.  One  can  also  tie 
the  bottom  of  the  legs  to  the  top 


of  the  bib  and  use  the  suspenders 
to  tie  with. 

Believe  me,  brother,   this  beats 
no  pack  "all  holler." 


HOOKING    YOUR    FISH 

BY  DANIEL  P.  VADER 
I  find  that  a  great  many  of  my 
friends  lose  a  large  percentage  of 
their  fish  by  getting  excited  when 
they  get  a  strike  trolling  for  bass. 
I  do  a  lot  of  trolling  with  live 


bait  and  my  choice  bait  is  a  live 
minnow  from  3  to  4  in.  long.  In 
trolling  for  bass  I  take  my  cast- 
ing rod  and  reel,  use  a  good-sized 
hook  and  hook  my  minnow  back, 
of  the  gill  on  one  side,  allowing 
the  point  to  come  out  through  the 
gill  on  the  other  side  of  the  head. 
I  let  my  line  out  about  120  ft., 
then  row  very  slowly  until  I  get  a 
strike.  Then  I  use  my  kink  for 
hooking  the  fish.  I  just  stop  the 
boat  and  watch  him.  As  a  rule  he 
will  take  the  minnow  and  run 
about  four  feet.  Then  he  will 
stop,  turn  his  minnow  and  again 
run  two  or  three  feet  while  swal- 
lowing the  minnow.  Then  he 
stops  for  a  second  and  starts 
again.  This  is  the  time  to  hook 
him.  Do  not  get  excited  when 
you  get  a  strike,  but  take  your 
time.  You  will  land  more  bass. 


SHOOTING  OUT  OBSTRUC- 
TIONS 

BY  C.  J.  SMITH 
Here  is  a  kink  I  have  frequently 
made  use  of  to  gladden  the  hearts 
of  Young  America.  Several 
times  the  boys  came  to  me  with 
a  barrel  of  their  little  .22  badly 
clogged.  A  rag  was  stuck  in  the 
barrel  or  a  bullet  (often  both) 
and  in  some  cases  examination 
showed  a  solid  mass  of  obstruc- 
tion from  4  to  6  in.  long.  To 
poke  this  out  with  an  improvised 
drill  would  take  a  long  'time,  so 
I  decided  to  follow  the  system  of 
the  boy  who  had  originally  tried 
to  shoot  out  the  obstruction.  But 


KINKS    OF    ALL    KINDS 


51 


I  improved  upon  the  technique, 
for  instead  .of  leaving  a  resilient 
air  space  between  cartridge  and 
obstruction,  I  fill  this  space  with 
water  and  a  .22  1.  r.  finishes  the 
job.  All  that  remains  is  to  scrub 
up  the  barrel  with  the  brass  brush 
and  the  gun  is  again  serviceable. 


A     TAKE-DOWN     LINE 

DRYER 
BY  J.  A.  PAXTON 

To  make  the  axle  (Fig.  A)  se- 
cure a  square  stick  of  wood  one 
and  one-half  inches  in  diameter 
and  bevel  each  corner  three-six- 
teenths of  an  inch.  Bore  holes 
(a-a-a-a)  at  each  end  to  hold  the 
side  wires  of  the  frame.  Bore 
a  hole  in  one  end  to  fit  the 
bracket  B. 

To  make  the  bracket  B  take  a 
piece  of  copper  or  brass  wire  and 
file  to  fit  the  second  joint  of  the 
rod,  turn  at  right  angles  as  in  the 
illustration.  A  washer  soldered 
on  completes  the  bracket. 

The  side  wires  (C)  are  made 
of  either  brass  or  copper  as  is  the 
wire  (D).  The  ring  on  the  end 
of  the  wire  (C)  passes  through 
the  ring  on  the  end  of  (D),  mak- 
ing the  completed  frame  (C,  D, 
C),  of  which  there  are  four.  The 
rings  enable  the  frames  to  fold, 
making  the  dryer  very  compact 
when  taken  down,  and  as  the  ends 
are  open,  the  line  will  dry  quickly. 

If  A  is  made  four  and  one-half 
inches  long  and  C  the  same  length 
the  dryer  will  take  up  no  more 
room  than  a  wobbler  bait  and  can 
be  easily  carried  in  the  pocket. 


By  having  the  bracket  B  fit  the 
second  joint  of  the  rod  it  is  pos- 
sible to  dry  the  line  in  the  boat 
while  eating  lunch,  or  while  com- 


ing back  to  camp.  It  also  makes 
it  easy  to  change  lines  on  a  reel 
without  going  to  bank,  and,  in 
fact,  its  convenience  in  many  ways 
is  apparent. 

To  make  the  dryer  self-con- 
tained when  knocked  down  a  piece 
of  one-inch  brass  tubing  can  be 


X 


used  instead  of  a  block  of  wood 
in  making  the  axle  A.  If  the 
tubing  is  used  it  will  be  necessary 
to  use  brass  disks  in  the  ends  in 
which  the  wires  C  are  placed. 


52 


KINKS    OF   ALL    KINDS 


The  arm  of  the  bracket  B  will  be 
shortened  and  riveted  in  the  brass 
disk  in  such  a  manner  that  the 
disk  will  revolve  easily.  After 
riveting  the  bracket  , solder  the 
disk  in  the  end  of  the  tube.  The 
disk  for  the  other  end  of  the  tube 
can  be  made  to  fit  snugly  and  is 
used  for  a  stopper. 

The  wires  C  and  D  should  be 
of  such  a  length  as  will  allow 
them  to  be  put  inside  of  the  tube. 

The  self-contained  dryer  will 
take  longer  to  make  than  the  other 
one  will,  but  it  is  well  worth  the 
trouble  of  the  discriminating  an^- 
gler  who  wants  the  best  of  every- 
thing going.  Its  cost  should  not 
be  over  twenty-five  cents  at  the 
most. 


A  CAMERA  KINK 

BY  E.  B.  HARDING 
Some  cameras  are  made  so  that 
they  can  be  snapped  by  pulling  a 
thread  fastened  to  the  shutter 
lever,  allowing  all  members  of  the 
party  to  get  in  the  picture  and 
then  some  cameras  are  not  in- 
tended to  be  used  that  way  at  all. 
Most  cameras  that  can  be  oper- 
ated with  a  string  are  too  ex- 
pensive to  be  risked  on  those  very 
outings  that  afford  the  best 
chances  for  the  pictures  we  want 
most.  In  an  effort  to  explain  how 
the  ordinary  little  old  box  kodak 
can  be  manipulated  with  a  string, 
I  submit  the  following  Kink: 

Drill  a  hole  through  the  shutter 
lever.  Tie  your  fish  line  through 
the  hole.  Tie,  or  better  still,  strap 


your  kodak  to  a  tree,  log,  stone  or 
something  equally  solid  and  at  the 
same  time  focus  for  your  picture. 
Now  run  the  string  up,  over  and 
across  the  top  of  the  kodak,  bring- 
ing it  rectangularly  around  the 
crank  that  turns  the  film,  the  lever 
that  unlocks  the  box  for  opening, 
the  handle,  or  a  tree — any  old 
thing  that  comes  in  position. 
Now,  be  careful  to  have  the  shut- 
ter lever  pointing  down. 

Better  practice  this  without  a 
film  in  the  box.  Raise  it  until  it 
is  about  to  operate  the  shutter; 
carefully  stretch  the  line  to  the 
spot  selected  for  the  picture  and, 
when  you're  ready,  "strike  your 
fish."  When  the  film  is  developed, 
the  fish  may  be  admired. 

I  have  taken  lots  of  pictures  in 
the  above,  manner  without  the  hole 
in  the  shutter  lever.  In  that  case 
I  fasten  a  fish  hook  under  the 
lever.  However,  the  hook  is  hard 
to  keep  in  place.  Try  it  some  time 
when  you  all  wish  to  be  in  on  the 
picture. 


A  COLLAPSIBLE  LANDING 
NET 

BY  C.  H.  BALDWIN 

I  had  a  good  collapsible  land- 
ing net  a  year  ago,  but  it  turned 
up  missing,  and  I  must  have  laid 
it  down  just  outside  my  boat  after 
the  excitement  of  landing  a  big 
one.  So  I  decided  to  make  one 
and  save  the  cost  for  "bait." 

Cut  about  18  inches,  or  any 
length  desired,  for  handle  from  a 
good  broom  handle.  Take  a  piece 


KINKS    OF   ALL   KINDS 


53 


of  24-inch  brass  tubing  (b),  which 
you  can  get  at  any  electrical  shop. 
Turn  down  the  lower  end  of  han- 
dle (c)  so  the  tubing  will  slip  on 


3^4  inches;  use  a  wood  rasp  if 
you  have  no  turning  lathe. 

Next  take  a  piece  of  telegraph 
wire  T^-inch  diameter,  and  make 
the  hoop  for  the  net  (a).  You 
can  bend  it  nicely  by  wrapping  it 
around  a  four  or  six  gallon  crock, 
or  anything  round  of  proper  size. 
Then  bend  each  end  of  the  hoop 
as  shown  in  the  cut  at  "d,"  and 
again  bend  a  hook  "e"  on  each 
end;  can  bend  with  a  vise  and 
hammer,  or  if  you  have  no  vise, 
pinch  the  ends  in  the  jaws  of  a 
monkey-wrench  and  hammer  them 
down. 

Next,  bore  a  T^-inch  hole 
through  the  handle  for  the  hooks 
to  slip  In,  and  from  this  hole  on 
each  side  of  the  handle  gouge  a 
groove  for  the  wire  to  set  in  flush 
with  the  handle.  If  you  have  no 
gouge,  burn  the  groove  in  with 
a  piece  of  the  wire,  red  hot.  Buy 
a  net  for  40  or  50  cents.  Slip  it 
on  the  hoop.  Put  the  tubing  on 
the  handle.  Fit  the  ends  of  the 
wire  into  the  grooves.  With  the 


hooks  in  the  holes,  slip  the  tub- 
ing down  to  cover  the  wire,  and 
you  have  it. 

Take  an  old  fish  line  and  wind 
the  grip  (f).  Put  a  screw  eye  "g" 
in  the  end  of  handle  to  hang  net 
on  hook  in  your  belt  and  the  kink 
is  ready  for  business.  Slip  the 


r 


tubing  back,  fold  the  net  back 
over  the  handle  and  the  "kink" 
will  go  in  your  suit  case. 


TO  GET  THE  FROGS 

BY  ROY  C.  HARRIS 
Did  you  ever  crawl  around  on 
your  hands  and  knees  trying  to 
catch  frogs  when  the  fish  wouldn't 
bite  your  artificial  lures,  and  af- 
ter sneaking  up  on  a  big  fellow 
have  him  slip  out  between  your 


fingers  and  escape  into  the  river? 
Well,  if  you  have,  try  this  kink: 
Take  an  emergency  tip  or  piece 
of  wire  two  or  three  inches  long 
that  will  fit  into  the  ferrule  of 
your  rod.  File  the  end  flat  on 


54 


KINKS    OF    ALL    KINDS 


each  side  for  about  three-fourths 
inch  back  (Fig.  1).  Then  take 
two  large  hooks  with  long  shanks 
and  straighten  them  out.  File  off 
the  eyes  and  flatten  rear  ends  for 
three-fourths  inch  toward  point 
(Fig.  2).  Place  flat  end  of  hooks 
on  flat  end  of  tip  and  fasten  in 
place  with  fine  wire  and  solder>if 
desired.  Bend  hooks  to  shape  and 
store  in  tackle  box  until  needed. 
When  you  wish  to  use  it  remove 
tip  joint  of  rod  and  slip  in  the 
spear  and  you'll  get  your  frog. 


A   TWIG   CUP   HANDLE 

BY  H.  N.  CRAMER 
The  easiest  drinking  cups  to 
carry  on  a  camping  trip  are  those 
made  without  any  handles,  so 
that  they  nest  one  in  the  other. 
These  cups  have  the  added  ad- 
vantage that  they  have  no  seams 
or  rivet  holes  to  leak.  Once  in  a 
while  you  want  to  dip  up  some- 
thing hot,  however,  and  then  the 
lack  of  a  handle  on  your  cup  is  a 
disadvantage.  If  you  are  up 


against  this  predicament,  just  cut 
a  small,  flexible,  Y-shaped  twig. 
Have  the  ends  of  the  Y  long 
enough  so  that  each  of  them  will 
go  clear  around  the  cup.  You 
will  find  that  a  single  knot  will 


hold  the  ends  of  the  twig  and  the 
stem  then  forms  a  handle  by 
means  of  which  you  can  dip  up 
your  hot  tea  without  any  danger 
to  your  fingers. 

ICE  CREEPERS 

BY  CHESTER  R.  HALL 
An  outdoors  man's  kit  is  not 
complete  unless  he  has  a  good 
pair  of  ice  creepers.  I  have  found 
the  pattern  shown  herewith  to  be 
most  effective. 

The  material   is  band  steel,  an 
inch  wide  and  1A  inch  thick.    The 


dimensions  shown  will  fit -the  or- 
dinary man's  foot.  After  cutting 
the  steel  to  length,  take  a  hack- 
saw or  cold  chisel  (saw  is  best) 
and  slot  the  corners  as  indicated. 
The  mortise  for  attaching  the 
straps  is  made  by  drilling  four 
^-inch  holes  side  by  side  near 
each  end.  Finish  cutting  out  the 
holes  with  a  cold  chisel  and 
smooth  up  the  edges  of  them  with 
a  file.  Next  bend  the  ears  up  and 
the  points  down  as  shown.  Reg- 
ular band  steel  will  bend  cold. 
Some  steel  may  have  to  be  heated 
first.  After  bending,  remove  all 
sharp  edges  with  a  file  and  trim 
the  points  down  so  they  are  just 
three-quarters  of  an  inch  long. 


KINKS    OF    ALL    KINDS 


55 


To  harden  the  steel,  get  a  small 
quantity  of  cyanide  of  potassium, 
which  can  be  had  at  any  drug 
store.  Tell  them  what  you  want 
it  for,  as  there  are  several  grades. 
Heat  your  creepers  red  hot:  Put 
a  small  chunk  of  cyanide  on  them 
and  place  back  in  the  fire  so  the 
cyanide  may  melt  and  run  all  over 
the  metal.  When  the  metal  is  a 
nice  red,  plunge  in  cold  water 
and  you  will  have  a  real  temper., 
The  creepers  are  finished  by  rivet- 
ing a  strap  and  buckle  to  each 
one.  Strap  on  over  the  instep, 
right  in  the  middle  of  the  shoe 
and  you  will  have  a  creeper  that 
will  stay  right  where  you  put  your 
foot. 


IMPROVING   THE    FRYING 
PAN 

BY  "THE  RAMBLING  BUCKEYE'"' 
Nothing  like  the  old  sheet-iron 
frying  pan  for  a  camping  trip. 
But  that  long  handle  is  always  in 
the  way  when  you  want  to  pack  it. 
Take  your  old  ten-inch  pan  and 


Bent  Metal  Strip 


cut  the  handle  down  until  it  is 
about  4  inches  long.  Then  take 
a  strip  of  zinc  about  24  of  an 
inch  wide  by  4T/2  inches  long. 
Bend  hox)ks  on  each  end  about  ^ 
of  an  inch  deep.  Then  bend  your 
strip  into  a  semicircle  so  the  hooks 


will  catch  in  the  beading  on  the 
edge  of  your  stub  frying-pan  han- 
dle. When  you  get  to  the  camp- 
ground cut  a  rough  stick  as  long 
as  you  want.  Whittle  it  roughly 
to  fit  in  the  metal  loop  you  have 
made  and  the  frying  pan  once 
more  has  a  full  length  handle. 


SNAPPING  YOUR  OWN 
PICTURE 

BY  GEORGE  W.  HARVEY 

One  of  your  kinks  showed  how 

to  rig  a  camera  so  that  it  could 

be  exposed    by    pulling  a  string, 

thus  giving  the  operator  a  chance 


to  get  into  the  picture  himself. 
The  device  as  shown  at  that  time 
wouldn't  quite  work  with  my  own 
box  camera,  so  I  set  out  to  adapt 
something  along  the  same  lines. 

In  order  to  give  the  camera 
solidity  I  used  a  good  heavy  board 
for  a  base.  On  this  I  nailed  24- 
inch  strips  to  form  a  socket  in 
which  the  camera  rests.  Directly 
under  the  exposure  lever  in  the 
strip,  on  the  right  hand  side  of 
the  camera,  I  drove  a  staple.  (In 
the  left  hand  strip  I  drove  a  sim- 
ilar staple.  This  does  not  show 
in  the  drawing.)  In  the  exposure 


56 


KINKS    OF    ALL    KINDS 


lever  itself  I  punched  a  small 
hole.  When  I  want  to  "get  in  the 
picture"  a  string  tied  through  this 
hole  and  run  down  through  the 
staple  does  the  trick. 

For  taking  time  exposures,  in 
addition  to  the  first  string  I  tie  a 
rubber  band  to  the  exposure 
lever.  At  the  end  of  this  is  an- 
other bit  of  string  which  is  led 
over  the  top  of  the  camera  and 
tied  to  the  staple  on  the  other  side. 
(This  is  the  staple  hidden  in  the 
drawing.  Thus  I  can  pull  the  lever 
down  and  hold  the  camera  open 
as  long  as  desired  with  the  first 
string.  As  soon  as  the  pull  is  re- 
leased, however,  the  rubber  band 
draws  the  lever  up  again  and 
closes  the  camera. 


MY  CIGAR  BOX  TACKLE 
CARRIER 

BY  RAMBLING  BILL 
Desiring  a  light  but  fairly  roomy 
tackle  box  to  carry  with  me  on  my 
rambles,  I  secured  a  couple  of 
good-sized  cigar  boxes  and  set  to 
work. 

I  took  the  cover  of  one  of 
these  boxes  off  from  its  cloth 
hinges  and  reset  it  with  a  couple 
of  small  metal  hinges.  The  sec- 
ond box  was  used  merely  to  fur- 
nish material  for  the  partitions, 
which  were  arranged  about  as 
shown. 

On  one  side  of  the  largest  com- 
partment I  fastened  a  strip  of 
stout  leather  that  would  not 
stretch,  tacking  it  down  in  the 
middle  and  at  both  ends.  This 
was  to  hold  my  plain  hooks  as 


shown  in  the  diagram.  Then  I 
took  a  strip  of  tin  and  cut  a  sharp 
point  at  each  end  which  I  turned 
down.  Along  either  side  of  the 
tin  I  made  a  number  of  short 
diagonal  cuts  the  edges  of  which 
I  afterward  dulled  with  a  tool. 


I  turned  down  the  two  points  at 
either  end  and  by  sinking  them 
into  the  wood,  fastened  the  strip 
of  tin  to  the  under  side  of  the 
box  cover.  At  the  other  end  of 
the  cover  I  glued  a  number  of 
small  bottle  corks.  This  arrange- 
ment holds  my  snelled  flies  and 
hooks  very  nicely.  I  simply  stick 
the  points  of  the  hooks  into  the 
corks  and  slip  the  snells  into  the 
slits  in  the  tin. 

On  the  outside  of  the  cover  I 
fastened  a  "Unity  Mixture"  to- 
bacco tin  for  a  bait  box  (Velvet 
and  P.  A.  tins  are  too  deep.  One 
cannot  reach  the  bottom  easily 
with  the  fingers). 


KINKS    OF    ALL    KINDS 


57 


Then  with  a  sling  strap  fastened 
to  the  ends  of  the  box  and  a 
couple  of  small  hooks  on  the  front 
for  holding  down  the  cover,  the 
job  was  complete.  This  box  holds 
a  surprising  lot  of  tackle,  protects 
it  nicely  and  carries  very  well 
with  the  strap  slung  over  one 
shoulder  and  the  box  resting 
under  the  opposite  arm.  It  is 
light,  does  its  duty  and  costs  al- 
most nothing. 

A  LIVE  BAIT  CARRIER 

BY  HENRY  D.  HOLLEY 
Anyone  who  has  ever  engaged 
in  the  lively  sport  of  bass  fishing 
realizes  how  necessary  is  a  variety 
of  bait.  With  this  necessity,  how- 
ever, there  arises  the  question  of 
transportation.  While  on  my  va- 
cation last  year  I  determined  to 
overcome  this  need  and  having 
combined  my  efforts  with  those  of 
an  old  timer,  I  turned  out  a  ser- 
viceable carrier.  It  is  about  18  in. 
long  and  12  in.  wide  and  stands 
about  12  in.  high.  The  top,  bot- 
tom and  all  partitions  are  made  of 
Y^  or  ^g-in.  stock  and  the  sides 
being  enclosed  with  screening 
makes  the  box  very  light  and 
portable. 

There  are  two  layers  with  four 
sections  on  a  layer,  which  I  filled 
as  follows :  In  the  top  section  I 
put  grasshoppers,  crickets,  katy- 
dids and  dobsons,  and  in  the  lower 
spaces  I  put  sandtoads,  striped 
frogs,  green  frogs  and  tree-toads. 
As  I  have  said,  the  ceiling  and 
floor  of  each  compartment  is  made 
of  wood  and  two  of  the  four  walls 


are  also,  but  the  other  two  are  en- 
closed by  screening  so  as  to  admit 
air  to  the  bait. 

At  the  top  of  each  section  there 
is  a  hole  large  enough  to  admit  a 
man's  closed  hand.  A  piece  of  tin 
(A  diag.)  covers  this  hole  and 
overlaps  it  about  one-half  inch  all 
around.  This  tin  is  secured  at 
(A)  by  a  screw,  upon  which  it 
pivots.  To  close  the  cover  you 
snap  the  tin,  which  has  a  small 
hole  opposite  A  over  the  eyelet  at 
B,  and  then  push  the  hook  C 
through  the  eye  B.  D  is  a  small 
knob  such  as  comes  on  the  top  of 
a  teapot,  riveted  through  the  tin. 
Then  the  end  is  filed  off  on  the 


s 

I 


underside  so  as  not  to  interfere 
with  sliding  of  the  tin  shutter. 
Four  shutters  similar  to  the  one 
just  described  are  fastened  on  the 
top  of  the  box  to  admit  to  the 


58 


KINKS    OF    ALL    KINDS 


four  upper  sections.  Four  others 
are  fastened  on  the  bottom  and 
the  four  knobs  for  opening  them 
form  legs  for  the  box.  When  any 
bait  is  required  from  the  lower 
compartments  the  box  is  inverted 
and  thus  access  to  them  is  gained. 
The  box  is  carried  by  a  handle, 
like  those  used  on  a  camera, 
which  is  attached  to  the  top  of 
the  carrier.  With  this  box  well 
stocked,  I  felt  capable  of  being 
able  to  tempt  any  bass. 


A  HANDY  BERRY  PICKERS' 
CAN 

BY  H.  B.  BOYCE 
Cut  the  top  from  a  four-quart 
syrup  can.  Hang  two  little  trian- 
gular doors  from  wires  across  the 
top,  as  shown  in  the  diagrams. 
Each  door  is  hung  from  a  wire 
with  an  extra  bit  of  tin  bent 
around  the  end  of  the  wire  to 
keep  the  door  from  sliding  out  of 
place.  Now  if  you  stumble  or 


drop  the  can,  these  doors  will 
swing  shut  ahead  of  the  berries, 
so  you  will  not  lose  them. 

In  opposite  corners  of  the  can, 
near  the  top,  make  holes  and  in- 


sert a  wire  bail.  A  thong  to  go 
around  the  neck  completes  the  out- 
fit. I  have  used  several  of  these 
cans  and  like  them  much  better 
than  the  usual  baskets  or  bucket. 


Your  berries  are  safe  at  all  times. 
Both  hands  are  free  for  picking 
and  the  can,  being  suspended  from 
your  neck,  is  always  convenient. 


A  SHINGLE  CREEL 

BY  ELTON  HURNING. 
I  live  in  an  excellent  trout  coun- 
try and  manage  to  get  about  as 
many  of  the  speckled  beauties  as 
the  next  fellow.  For  many  years 
I  have  made  my  own  creels  out 
of  the  simplest  of  materials.  I  use 
shingles  for  the  sides  and  ends 
and  *4-  or  ^2-inch  boards  for  the 
top  and  bottom.  The  boards  may 
be  cut  curved  to  fit  the  side  of 
the  body  without  fear,  as  the  shin- 
gles, which  should  preferably  be 
of  cedar,  will  bend  nicely  without 
splitting.  The  shingles  are  tacked 
to  the  top  and  bottom  boards  with 
small  nails.  Before  the  front  is 
nailed  on  a  generous  notch  is 
sawed  into  it  for  a  hand  hole.  A 
cover,  fastened  with  a  small  pair 
of  hinges  or  a  strap,  is  made  to 
fit  this,  leaving  only  a  small  hole 
for  the  insertion  of  the  fish.  The 


KINKS    OF    ALL    KINDS 


59 


shoulder  strap  is  tacked  onto  the 
back  and  the  job  is  completed. 

This  type  of  box  keeps  the  fish 
nice  and  hard,  particularly  if  you 
lay  a  handful  of  green  clover  or 
leaves  between  them.  The  box  can 
be  made  any  size  to  suit  your  own 
ideas.  I  have  made  many  of  them 
and  sold  them,  too. 


CORN   FOR  43ARP 

BY  H.  F.  HOLLMANN,  JR. 
In  several  issues  of  OUTER'S  I 
have  noticed  bait  mentioned  for 
catching  carp,  but  do  not  recall 
seeing  the  following  recipe :  When 
other  bait  is  scarce,  a  can  of 
sugar  corn  can  always  be  relied 
upon  to  do  the  trick.  Or  while 
the  field  corn  is  still  in  the  milky 
white  stage,  or  just  turning,  it 
can  be  used  just  as  successfully. 
It  surely  is  an  isolated  fishing 
hole  where  one  will  not  have  to 
pass  a  cornfield  somewhere  on  the 
ft  way.  A  few 

V  rows  cut  off  with 

a    knife    will    be 
III-.,  suffic  i  e  n  t     for 

UsCft  several  hours' 
fishing,  if  they 
don't  bite  too 


As  for  baiting 
the  hook,  have 
not  as  yet  found 
the  one  and  only 
way.  My  per- 
sonal preference 
is  a  small  hook 
with  a  rather 
long  shank  and 
the  corn  placed 


Use  a 

long 


hook  of 

smcxll 

sUe 


on  the  point  and  just  around  the 
turn.  This,  for  the  reason  that  Mr. 
Carp  belongs  to  the  "sucker" 
family,  and  with  a  small  hook 
can  get  hook  and  all  without 
much  trouble.  If  the  corn  is 
strung  all  the  way  up  the  shank 
he  is  liable  to  have  a  meal  before 
he  gets  to  the  business  end  of  the 
hook,  not  mentioning  the  excite- 
ment caused  to  the  one  on  the 
bank,  who  is  waiting  for  Mr.  Carp 
to  get  the  hook.  Now  if  you  can 
hook  one  weighing  from  five  to 
ten  pounds  with  light  tackle,  you 
are  going  to  have  some  fun  before 
he  comes  in. 


STEEL  RING  GUIDES 

BY  WM.  GUNRICH 
Some  time  ago  I  received  as  a 
premium  with  my  subscription  to 
OUTER'S  BOOK  a  Heddon  rod  of 
the  kind  that  sells  for  a  dollar  and 
a  half.  It  has  better  action  than 
my  five-and-a-half-fqot  steel  rod. 

However,  when  I  looked  at  the 
guides  I  saw  that  they  were  not 


just  as  I  would  like  to  have 
them.  They  may  have  been  as 
good  as  any,  but  I  had  an  idea 
that  they  could  be  improved  up- 
on. As  I  happen  to  be  so  fortu- 
nate as  to  have  the  use  of  a  foot- 
power  lathe,  I  set  to  work  to 
make  the  improvement. 

First  I  got  a  piece  of  steel  out 
of  which  I  cut  the  rings.    These  I 


60 


KINKS    OF    ALL    KINDS 


made  as  nearly  like  the  agates  on 
my  steel  rod  as  I  could.  After 
turning  them  up  and  polishing 
them,  I  hardened  them  as  hard  as 
possible.  Then  in  the  groove  on 
the  outside  of  each  ring  I  fitted  a 
good  stiff  wire.  Where  the  wire 
crossed  on  the  lower  side  I  sol- 
dered it.  I  then  brought  the  ends 
out  at  right  angles  and  flattened 
them. 

After  that  I  mounted  them  in 
place  of  the  old  guides,  took  an- 
other look  at  the  job  and  chuckled. 


THE  USEFUL  SAFETY  PIN 

BY  BERT  HECKETT 
We  had  pulled  hard  for  about 
two  miles  to  a  rocky  shore  on 
Lake  Winnepesaukee,  N.  H.,  where 
we  knew  there  were  bass.  On  get- 
ting to  the  grounds,  I  found  the 
tip  of  my  casting-rod  broken  by 
the  fish  tank  resting  on  it  (large 
zinc  tank  to  keep  fish  alive  in). 
You  can  imagine  my  feelings. 
Had  come  all  that  way  to  fish  for 
one  hour,  5  to  6,  and  back  with 
the  wind  in  time  for  supper  at  7 
p.  m. 

It  was  out  of  the  question  to  go 
back  for  repairs,  and,  without 
tools,  I  felt  rotten  Was  just 
about  to  go  back  to  camp  and 
give  up  for  the  day  when  I  saw 
a  large-sized  safety  pin  sticking  in 
my  old  raincoat  (probably  been 
there  since"  last  year).  I  took  it 
to  try  and  pry  the  wood  from  the 
agate  guide  tip  to  refit  it,  but  it 
would  not  come  out.  Then  the 
Kink  came  to  life.  Why  not  tie 
the  pin  on  the  tip  of  the  rod  and 


use  the  round  loop  for  a  guide? 
No  sooner  the  thought  than  the 
deed. 

With  an  old  rusty  file,  kept  in 
the  boat  for  sharpening  hooks,  I 
filed  and  broke  off  the  clasp  end 
and  roughed  up  the  sides  of  the 
pin.  Placed  it  on  tip  of  rod,  loop 
close  to  end  of  tip.  Broke  off  a 
couple  of  feet  of  line  and  bound 
on  pin,  tight. 

Threaded  line  through  loop  of 
pin,  attached  pork  rind  minnow 


and  went  to  work,  and,  incident- 
ally, got  four  bass  from  1$4 
pounds  to  2  pounds  and  one  pick- 
erel of  4^4  pounds,  and  arrived 
back  at  camp  at  7:10  with  the  best 
catch  for  that  one  day.  The  pin 
guide  appeared  good  for  many 
more  trips,  but  I  repaired  my  rod 
that  evening,  and  the  pin  guide  is 
hung  up  as  a  memento. 

A   CLOTHESPIN   PLUG 

BY  JAMES  MCCAFFREY 
From  an  ordinary  clothespin  I 
whittled  a  plug  to  the  shape  shown 
in  the  drawings.  To  the  bottom 
of  this  I  attached  a  treble  hook. 
The  treble  does  not  swing  free. 
It  is  attached  by  means  of  a  screw 
and  held  more  firmly  in  place  by 
means  of  a  small  staple  across  the 
shank.  A  screw  eye  for  fastening 
the  line  to  completes  the  bait. 


KINKS    OF   ALL    KINDS 


61 


I  painted  this  a  pure  white  and 
then  splashed  it  with  irregular 
markings  of  red  and  green.  I 
have  had  fair  success  with  this 


bait  for  small-mouth,  and  have 
had  more  strikes  on  it  than  on 
some  of  the  costly  plugs.  This 
bait  has  the  added  advantage  of 
being  nearly  weedless. 


THE  FINGER  RING 
SPOOLER 

BY  JAS.  W.  BIRTHONG 

Here  is  a  simple  Kink  that  will 
enable  you  to  spool  the  line  on  a 
plain  reel  as  well  as  any  mechan- 
ical level- winder  can  do  the  job 
and  with  no  complicated  machin- 
ery to  obstruct  the  cast.  Get  a 
ring  that  will  fit  the  first  joint 
on  the  index  finger  of  your  left 


hand.  You  can  have  one  made 
at  the  jewelry  store  out  of  silver 
or  nickel  if  necessary.  On  the 
top  of  this  ring  is  to  be  set  a  small 
yoke  or  crotch  to  guide  the  line 
with.  The  diagram  should  make 


the  manner  of  using  this  device 
quite  clear.  When  reeling  in  just 
palm  your  reel  in  the  ordinary 
manner.  Catch  the  line  in  the 
yoke  guide  it  back  and  forth  with 
the  finger.  It  is  positive  in  its 
work  and  handles  as  slick  as  any- 
thing you  ever  tried.  Nothing 
simpler. 


IMPROVED   OAR  LOCK 
FASTENING 

BY  HARRY  F.  RIES 

The   enclosed   sketch   shows  an 

arrangement  for  the  oar  locks  on 

small  boats.    The  oar  lock  itself  is 

screwed    on    to    a    wedge-shaped 


piece  of  oak  cut  with  a  shoulder 
to  rest  on  the  boat's  side,  and 
fastened  by  running  wire  nail 
through  hole  near  top  and  twist- 
ing oar  lock  until  nail  is  bent  in 
shape  to  hold.  Wooden  strips  are 
placed  inside  of  boat  and  the  cross 
pieces  made  of  hoop  iron. 

You  can  readily  see  that  this  ar- 
rangement takes  a  good  deal  of 
strain  off  sides  of  boat.  The 
screws  will  not  readily  pull  out 
of  oak  as  when  placed  in  soft 
material  from  which  boats  are 
usually  built.  The  locks  are  per- 
manently fast,  yet  can  be  taken 
out  when  boat  is  not  in  use.  The 


62 


KINKS    OF    ALL    KINDS 


additional    knee    room   in   a   flat- 
bottom  boat  is  also  appreciated. 

This  idea  was  copied  by  me 
from  a  boat  built  many  years  ago. 
I've  used  it  and  found  it  so  good 
that  I  want  to  pass  it  along.  This 
was  the  only  boat  I  ever  saw  so 
equipped. 


MORE  BREAM  FISHING 

BY  J.  H.  ERVIN 

I  recently  read  the  Arkansas 
boy's  kink  about  bream  fishing 
with  roaches,  and  he  didn't  tell  all 
about  the  tackle  part  of  the 
game. 

Get  three  or  four  canes  from 
some  rich  bottom  land,  twelve 
feet  long  and,  say,  one  inch  in 
diameter  at  butt.  Dry  thoroughly 
and  straighten  over  alcohol  flame ; 
select  the  one  with  best  whip  and 
"feel"  and  mount  it  in  a  handle 
two  or  three  feet  long  made  of  a 
piece  of  Japanese  bamboo  of  a  size 
to  comfortably  fit  the  hand.  Have 
the  hole  in  bamboo  just  fit  the 
small  cane.  Cut  four  V-shaped 
notches  in  the  bamboo  and  trim 
down  to  taper  with  small  cane; 
wrap  with  small  silk  line,  using 
the  pull  under,  no  knot  way. 
Sandpaper  the  joints  only,  and 
varnish  the  entire  roJ. 

Use  small  size  silk  worm  gut 
leaders;  piece  a  nine-foot  to  a 
three-foot  and  uje  enough  hard 
braided  silk  line  to  make,  with 
the  snelled  hook,  just  the  length 
of  pole.  For  the  float  get  about 
four  inches  of  peacocK  feather, 
hammer  a  BB  shot  very  thin, 
cut  the  edges  even  and  wrap  just 


below  the  joint  of  sneli  and 
leader.  Wrap  it  to  make  as 
small  a  lump  as  possible,  and  let 
it  be  just  heavy  enough  to  sink 
the  bait  slowly.  A  Hide  practice 
and  you  can  cast  with  this  outfit 
and  make  only  a  small  ripple- 
not  the  splash  and  "ker-chunk" 
the  quill  and  split  shot  make. 
Then  when  you  hang  one  of  the 
"big  blue  fellows"  the  fun  you 
will  have  with  that  light  tackle 
will  pay  for  all  the  trouble  of 
making  it. 


A   COMPACT    OUTFIT 

BY  JAMES  MCCAFFREY 

I  have  made  a  combination 
grate  reflecting  oven  and  cooking 
pan  that  I  believe  will  be  of  in- 
terest to  the  readers  of  your  kink 
column  and  I  offer  it,  as  follows : 

The  folding  grate  is  made  up 
of  band  iron  that  can  be  pur- 
chased at  any  sheet  metal  dealer's 
for  a  few  cents,  as  it  is  used 
merely  for  shipping  sheet  iron 
from  the  mill  and  is  of  no  use 
after  the  bundles  are  opened.  The 
grate  is  made  up  as  per  drawing 
and  the  leg  sections  are  loose- 
riveted  so  they  can  be  folded  in. 

The  cooking  pan  is  made  of 
black  iron  and  is  18  inches  long, 
9l/2  inches  wide  and  1  inch  deep 
and  the  grate  when  folded  just 
fits  in  the  pan  nicely.  The  re- 
flecting oven  is  made  so  it  can 
be  knocked  down  and  fits  on  top 
of  the  grate  and  its  general  di- 
mensions is  as  sketched. 

Oven  is  made  of  bright  tin  with 
edges  hemmed  or  just  bent  over 


KINKS    OF    ALL    KINDS 


63 


and  hinges  put  on  so  that  the  ends 
fold  in  and  under  the  top.  This 
oven  when  folded  just  fits  the  top 
of  the  cooking  pan,  covering  the 
grate  and  making  the  most  com- 
pact outfit  I  have  yet  seen. 

The  grate  cannot  collapse  after 
being  put  into  the  ground,  as  the 


flat  braces  are  held  firmly  in  place 
by.  the  side  pieces.  Band  iron  I 
used  is  24  ^ch  wide  and  about 
3-64  inch  thick. 


GETTING  THEM  OFF  THE 
HOOK 

BY  E.  N.  CARTIER 
We  often  hear  fellows  say  that 
they  have  trouble  in  taking  fish  off 
the  hook  on  account  of  sharp  fins; 
or  that  they  won't  take  their  fami- 
lies on  a  fishing  picnic  because 
wifey  and  the  kids  keep  dad  on 
the  jump  unhooking  their  catch 
and  give  him  no  chance  to  fish. 
When  going  home  time  comes, 
father  has  nothing  to  show  and 
the  family  have  a  fine  time  laugh- 
ing at  him.  Father  laughs  along 
at  his  lack  of  a  string,  but  his 
face  hurts  with  every  smile,  and 


the  next  time  he  goes  alone.  In 
order  to  dispose  of  this  trouble 
and  still  be  able  to  take  the 
family  along,  buy  a  box  of  ringed 
hooks  in  your  favorite  size  when 
you  are  stocking  up  for  the 
season.  Instead  of  gut  snells  use 
remnants  of  discarded  line  6  or  8 
inches  long. 

Gather  the  family  around  the 
table  some  night  after  supper  and 
proceed  to  tie  one  of  these  short 
leaders  to  each  hook.  When  you 
go  fishing  tie  your  sinker  on  the 
end  of  the  line  and  8  or  10  inches 
above  it  make  a  plain  knot,  as 
shown  in  the  diagram.  Take  one 
of  your  prepared  hooks  and  tie  it 


Here 


to  the  line  above  this  knot  with  a 
plain  bow.  If  more  hooks  are 
wanted,  do  the  same  thing  with 
them  above  the  first  hook.  The 
knot  on  the  line  prevents  the  bow- 
knot  from  slipping  down  and  the 
harder  the  fish  may  pull  on  the 


64 


KINKS    OF   ALL    KINDS 


hook  the  more  the  bow-knot  will 
tighten. 

When  you  have  landed  a  fish 
and  find  he  has  swallowed  the 
hook,  catch  hold  of  your  line 
above  the  hooks  with  one  hand 
and  with  the  other  pull  on  the 
end  of  the  bow  and  your  fish 
drops  into  the  basket.  Then  tie 
on  another  hook  and  bait  up.  Do 
not  bother  about  taking  out  the 
hooks  until  you  get  home,  by 
which  time  you  will  be  cutting 
up  the  fish  anyhow  and  the  hooks 
will  be  easy  to  get  out. 

By  this  method  mother,  father 
and  the  kiddies  can  all  have  a 
good  time  and  everyone  can  take 
care  of  his  or  her  own  line. 


SPLICING  A  BREAK  IN  A 
BAMBOO  ROD 

BY  WM.  S.  COGSWELL 
I  happen  to  be  the  proud  pos- 
sessor of  a  Heddon  casting  rod 
that  has  been  in  continual  use  for 
the  past  eight  years.    While  land- 


•  '•'•Coj>t>er  Strips 


ing  a  fish  one  day  last  summer, 
said  rod  gave  up  the  fight.  On 
examiination  I  found  the  bamboo 
had  become  loosened  in  the  butt 
and  on  removing  the  butt  I  found 
that  the  continual  run  of  water  in 
the  handle  during  its  years  of 
service  had  rotted  two  strips  of 
bamboo.  This  rod,  being  an  old 
pal  of  mine  on  many  fishing  trips, 
I  at  once  declined  to  lay  it  away. 


So  I  will  try  to  the  best  of  my 
ability  to  explain  how  I  repaired 
my  rod. 

After  removing  the  handle  I 
glued  the  broken  strips  together. 
Then  I  gouged  the  center  of  each 
strip  one-sixteenth  of  an  inch  and 
inlaid  copper  an  eighth  of  an  inch 
wide  and  one-sixteenth  of  an  inch 
thick  in  each  gouge  across  the 
broken  joints. 

Then  putting  the  rod  back  into 
the  butt,  I  took  No.  22  copper 
wire  and,  starting  from  the  fer- 
rule, wound  it  closely  together 
down  on  the  rod  over  projecting 
copper  strips  and  slipped  the  end 
of  wire  alongside  the  copper  strip 
under  winding.  After  rubbing 
soldering  paste  on  the  wire  wind- 
ing, I  then  took  hot  solder  and 
poured  on  winding  and  wiped  off 
solder  with  a  waxed  cloth.  That 
left  the  winding  as  smooth  as  a 
plumber  wipes  a  joint.  Using 
sandpaper  to  smooth  out  rough 
spots,  my  rod  was  as  good  as  new. 
Enclosed  you  will  find  a  drawing 
which  I  think  will  explain  my 
method  more  clearly  than  I  have 
written  it. 


DOUBLING    UP    THE 
STOPPLE    KIT 

BY   JULIEN    SWANSON 

Being  one  of  these  fellows  who 
delight  in  undermining  their 
friends'  digestive  apparatus  with 
what  is  known  as  camp  cooking, 
and  also  more  or  less  infected 
with  the  "golight"  bug,  I  soon  fell 
for  a  Stopple  Kook  Kit.  And  al- 
though it  has  proved  the  ideal 


KINKS    OF    ALL    KINDS 


65 


cooking  outfit  for  the  two-party, 
week-end  hike  or  fishing  trip,  it 
has  its  limitations  when  it  comes 
to  an  extended  trip  or  a  larger 
party.  Not  wanting  to  invest  in 
an  expensive,  nesting  aluminum 
outfit,  nor  liking  the  bump  that 
one  of  these  make  in  a  pack  sack, 
I  got  one  more  Stopple  (giving 
me  two  in  all),  and  figured  out 
the  following  kink.  It  fills  the 
bill  fine,  and  I  can  joyfully  go 
ahead  and  poison  six  or  eight  at 
a  time  now  if  I  want  to. 

I  had  a  tinner  make  me  a  con- 
tainer 23/s  inches  wide  by  9-H$ 
inches  long  and  9*A  inches  high, 
with  a  cover  that  goes  down  on 
the  container  2*A  inches.  We 
used  the  heaviest  tin  we  could  get 
and  made  it  with  lock  seams  so 
that  heat  could  not  melt  the  sol- 
der and  open  up  the  joints. 
Where  the  lower  edge  of  the 
cover  comes  we  made  a  small 
bead  in  the  rim  to  stiffen  it  up  a 
little.  On  the  ends  of  the  con- 
tainer and  just  below  the  cover 
we  riveted  on  flat  ears  wide 
enough  to  take  a  one-inch  carry- 
ing strap,  and  I  also  fasten  a  wire 
bail  in  these  when  cooking.  Into 
this  container  go  my  two  Stopple 
Kits  edge  to  edge,  and  I  have  a 
nice  flat  package  that  fits  fine  in 
the  pack  sack  or  carries  with  a 
shoulder  strap  without  rolling  all 
around  my  equator. 

Arriving  at  camp,  I  set  up  both 
grates  side  by  side  with  my  large 
container  on  the  windward  side, 
where  it  gets  a  lot  of  heat  besides 
helping  considerably  as  a  wind- 


shield. This  large  container  gives 
me  a  mulligan  or  spud  kettle  that 
holds  about  a  gallon,  and  when  I 
don't  need  it  for  cooking  it  makes 
a  good  water  pail.  The  inverted 
cover  makes  a  good  mixing  pan  or 
small  stewpan.  The  two  Stopple 
stew-kettles  (one  at  each  end  of  the 
grates)  fix  me  out  for  coffee  and 
dessert.  The  four  frying  pans 
can  be  used  as  such  or  as  plates, 
and  I  have  four  cups.  Sometimes 
I  use  one  Stopple  outfit  for  bak- 


Strap 


ing,  as  per  Stopple  directions. 
There  is  no  limit  to  the  various 
combinations.  Figure  them  out 
for  yourself.  I  am  going  to  make 
a  waterproof  canvas  carrying  case 
for  the  container,  which  will  be 
mighty  handy  as  an  extra  water 
pail  in  this  country,  where  our 
water  must  come  from  the  near- 
est well. 


KEEPING     MINNOWS 
ALIVE 

BY  W.  E.  CLADEK,  M.  D. 

For  the  past  few  years  I  have 
been   very    successful   in   keeping 


66 


KINKS    OF    ALL    KINDS 


minnows  alive  while  carrying 
them.  I  use  an  ordinary  work- 
man's dinner  pail  with  two  com- 
partments, such  as  can  be  pur- 
chased nearly  anywhere  for  a  very 
small  price.  I  fill  the  top  com- 
partment with  ice  and  put  the 
water  with  the  minnows  in  the 


bottom  compartment.  A  small 
hole  punched  through  the  floor  of 
the  top  compartment  allows  the 
melted  ice  to  gradually  drip  into 
the  bottom  compartment.  The  ice 
can  be  renewed  very  easily  and 
on  very  hot  days  a  wrapping  of 
heavy  paper  around  the  bucket 
makes  it  better. 


A  SELF-STRIKING  HOOK 

BY  H.  J.  HEATH 

The  diagram  shows  a  kink  that 
has  been  used  successfully  many 
times.  It  can  be  made  in  a  few 
minutes  with  a  piece  of  spring- 


brass  wire,  some  hooks  and  a 
little  solder,  and  is  just  the  thing 
for  trolling  for  bass,  pickerel  and 
other  game  fish.  The  diagram 
shows  the  principle  fairly  well. 


The  two  large  hooks  at  the  end 
are  held  close  together  by  an  arm, 
B,  which  is  soldered  to  one  of  the 
hook  shanks  and  has  a  bend  in  the 
end  which  catches  the  other  hook 
shank  just  enough  to  hold  it.  The 
bait  is  fastened  on  the  small 
double  hooks  marked  A  and  ex- 
tends backwards  as  far  as  de- 
sired. 

When  the  fish  strikes,  the  up- 
per trailer  hook  is  immediately 
knocked  loose  from  the  small  bend 
in  the  arm,  B,  that  holds  it  and 
the  spring  thrusts  the  two  hooks 
apart  vigorously,  striking  them 
well  into  the  fish's  mouth. 

C  is  a  small  loop  for  fastening 
to  the  line. 

REPAIRING    STEEL    RODS 

BY  E.  J.  HOLLOW  AY 

A    broken    steel    rod    may    fre- 

quently be  repaired  by  a  very  sim- 

ple   process.      Usually     the     ends 

of   the   tube   where   broken   have 


become  somewhat  pinched  or  dis- 
torted. If  this  is  the  case  insert 
the  tang  of  a  file  or  any  other 
convenient  tool  in  the  opening  and 
by  rimming  around  and  around 
the  circular  cross  section  can  be 
restored.  A  pair  of  pliers  judi- 
ciously used  may  help  in  this  oper- 
ation. Then  with  the  file  smooth 
the  face  of  the  break  square 
across.  Take  a  piece  of  wire 
slightly  larger  than  the  interior 
of  the  tube  and  file  it  to  a  tight 
fit.  Heat  the  broken  end  of  the 


KINKS    OF    ALL    KINDS 


67 


tube  so  as  to  expand  it  slightly. 
It  need  not  be  heated  so  much  as 
to  destroy  the  temper.  A  very 
moderate  heat  will  expand  it  con- 
siderably. Warm  one  end  of  the 
prepared  wire.  Cover  it  with  a 
bit  of  solder  and  while  the  latter 
is  still  soft  push  the  wire  down  in- 
to the  tube  for  half  its  length. 
Repeat  with  the  other  side  of  the 
break.  A  drop  of  solder  run 
around  where  the  two  ends  of  the 
break  come  together  will  make 
all  smooth  and  complete  the  re- 
pair. 

A  BARBECUE  FORK 

BY  A.  H.  FROOM 

Out  here  in  California  we  bar- 
becue a  good  deal  of  meat.  I  am 
enclosing  herewith  diagrams  of  a 
fork  and  jack  that  I  have  found 
very  handy  for  this  purpose. 

I  get  an  ordinary  four-tined 
pitchfork  and  have  the  blacksmith 
straighten  out  the  tines.  For  the 
handle  I  have  fitted  on  a  plain 

H        n       Ml 


FORK 


JACK 


piece  of  gas  pipe  about  sixty 
inches  long,  so  that  I  can  stand 
well  back  from  the  fire.  I  usually 
put  a  ferrule  joint  in  the  middle 
of  the  handle  and  also  simply  slip 


it  on  to  the  fork  socket.  This 
makes  it  take  down  easily  for  car- 
rying. I  have  these  joints  beaten 
square  so  that  the  fork  will  not 
twist  when  the  handle  is  turned. 


The  jack  is  made  very  simply,  as 
shown  in  the  diagram.  If  one 
uses  about  3^-inch  rod  for  the 
jack  it  may  be  slipped  into  one  of 
the  handle  joints  for  carrying.  By 
resting  the  handle  of  the  fork  in 
the  hook  of  the  jack  one  can  turn 
the  meat  at  his  leisure,  thus  hold- 
ing the  juice  in  the  meat  instead 
of  losing  it  in  the  fire. 


A  SAFETY-FIRST  BELT 

BY  ARTHUR  JOHNSTON 
Here  is  a  Kink  that  I  thought 
out  several  years  ago.  Now  I 
cannot  do  without  it.  Get  a  piece 
of  heavy  duck  or  canvas  (about 
twelve  or  fifteen  ounce  weight) 
nine  inches  in  width  and  ten  inches 
longer  than  your  waist  measure. 
Fold  and  sew  into  a  tube  using 
heavy  linen  thread.  Machine 
stitching  is  preferable.  Leave  five 
inches  .  at  either  end  unstitched 
and  slit  the  opposite  edge  at  the 
fold  so  that  you  have  two  five- 
inch  flaps  at  each  end. 


68 


KINKS    OF    ALL    KINDS 


Now  turn  the  tube  inside  out 
and  get  six  small  buckles  and 
the  same  number  of  small  leather 
billets.  Tuck  one  flap  at  each  end 
of  the  tube  in  and  bring  over  the 
other  flap.  Mark  where  it  comes 
and  rivet  three  of  the  buckles  at 
each  end  of  the  tube  to  meet  it. 
Then  fasten  three  of  the  billets 
on  each  of  the  overlapping  flaps 
so  as  to  fit  the  buckles.  Fasten  a 
good  belt  buckle  on  one  end  of 
the  main  tube  and  a  six  or  eight 
inch  length  of  belt  to  fit  it  on  the 
other  end.  It  is  worth  while  to 
give  the  canvas  a  good  coat  of 
shellac  or  varnish,  as  it  is  then 
not  so  likely  to  be  penetrated  or 
torn  by  sharp  sticks  and  hooks.  If 
varnish  is  used,  let  it  dry  thor- 
oughly and  then  dust  the  inside 
of  the  tube  with  powdered  soap- 
stone. 

Go  to  a  bicycle  repair  shop  and 
get  a  piece  of  discarded  motor- 


\$_  ™  ^^.^""""" 


?   ) 


cycle  inner  tube  the  length  of 
your  belt.  Have  this  thoroughly 
repaired  and  a  valve  and  stem 
put  on.  Make  sure  that  both  ends 
are  firmly  sealed  and  test  the  tube 
by  inflation  under  water.  Lay  the 
inner  tube  on  your  belt  and  mark 
where  the  valve  stem  will  come. 
Cut  a  round  hole  in  the  top  edge 
of  the  case  and  reinforce  it  with 
a  small  patch  of  leather.  Now 
insert  the  inner  tube  into  the  cas- 
ing and  bring  the  valve  stem 


through  the  hole  provided  for  it. 
Partially  inflate  the  inner  tube, 
making  sure  that  it  is  not  twisted 
or  pinched  at  any  point.  Then 
tuck  in  the  loose  flap  at  either  end 
of  the  casing.  Bring  the  other 
flaps  over  and  buckle  them  down. 
Finish  inflating  the  tube  and  your 
safety-first  belt  is  ready  to  wear. 

With  this  belt  around  your 
waist  you  need  have  no  fear  of 
slipping  into  deep  holes  while 
wading.  Or  if  you  are  a  poor 
swimmer  and  go  boating  with  that 
cursed  fool  that  rocks  the  boat, 
you  will  have  no  appointment  with 
the  undertaker.  I  use  one  of 
these  belts  on  all  of  my  trouting 
trips.  When  I  come  to  a  pool 
that  is  too  deep  to  wade  I  just 
float  down  the  middle,  casting 
right  and  left.  Incidentally  I  have 
taken  some  of  my  best  fish  this 
way. 

Rolled  into  a  coil  this  belt 
makes  an  excellent  cushion  or  a 
dream  of  a  pillow  for  your  weary 
head  at  night.  Deflated,  it  slips 
into  a  small  pocket  and  weighs 
less  than  two  pounds.  The  mate- 
rials for  mine  cost  me  less  than 
a  dollar  and  I  did  the  work  my- 
self. It  is  necessary,  of  course,  to 
carry  a  small  brass  bicycle  pump 
with  this  belt  and  a  couple  of 
rubber  patches  and  some  cement 
in  your  repair  kit. 


ANOTHER  SLIDING  FLOAT 

BY  J.  W.  NOYES 
Many  times  when  out  bait-cast- 
ing  and   "they"   wouldn't  hit  the 
plug,    I   have   longed   to    use   my 


KINKS    OF    ALL    KINDS 


69 


short  rod  for  still  fishing.  Plenty 
of  froggies  on  the  bank  and  a 
float  in  the  tackle  box.  But  I 
want  to  fish  deep,  perhaps,  and 
just  imagine  making  a  cast  with 
fifteen  or  twenty  feet  of  line  out 


between  the  bait  and  the  rod  be- 
fore you  start  out.  Pretty  awk- 
ward. And  then,  even  if  you  are 
successful  in  getting  the  line  well 
away  from  the  boat,  imagine  what 
it  will  be  when  you  get  a  fish  on 
and  can't  reel  in  any  farther  than 
the  float.  Here's  a  way  out  of  the 
difficulty : 

Remove  the  stick  which  runs 
through  an  ordinary  float  and  sub- 
stitute therefor  a  reed  pipestem. 
The  smoke  conveyor  from  a  cob 
Willie  will  about  do  the  trick. 
String  the  line  through  this  and 
tie  a  small  bowknot  in  it  above 
the  float  at  the  place  where  you 
want  the  float  to  stay.  Reel  this 
bowknot  right  in  and  the  float  will 
slip  down  to  the  hook.  Make  your 
cast  and  the  weight,  of  the  bait 


will  pull  the  line  back  through  the 
float  to  the  desired  depth. 

In  playing  the  fish,  if  you  should 
be  so  fortunate  as  to  get  one  on, 
the  bowknot  usually  comes  untied. 
If  not,  it  still  reels  easily  through 
the  guides. 


RAPID  FlkE  FISH  CLEAN- 
ING 

BY  G.  H.  STROHM 
Don't  scale  your  bass  or  clean 
him.  Just  lay  him  flat  on  his  side 
and  make  a  clean  cut  through  the 
skin  from  head  to  tail  over  the 
backbone.  Do  the  same  thing  on 
the  under  side,  but  slightly,  just 
breaking  the  skin.  Cut  the  skin 
also  around  the  head  and  tail  as 
indicated  by  the  dotted  lines  in  the 
diagram. 

Grasp  the  point  of  the  skin  at 
the  top  of  the  head  between  knife 


blade  and  thumb.  One  good  pull 
and  that  side  is  skinned.  Do  the 
same  with  the  other  side.  Then 
slice  off  a  nice  strip  of  boneless 
flesh  on  each  side  and  throw  the 
rest  to  the  birds.  You  can  do  this 


70 


KINKS    OF   ALL    KINDS 


without   cutting   into   the   entrails 
at  all. 

At  first  glance  this  looks  like  a 
waste  of  good  bass  meat,  but  one 
really  loses  very  little  and  does 
away  with  all  bother  on  account 
of  the  bones.  If  you  really  want 
your  appetite  whetted  you  should 
see  the  job  done  by  a  Canadian 
guide  at  lunch  time  when  every- 
one is  too  hungry  to  wait  for  the 
eats.  

A  FANCY  STITCH 

BY  J.  EVERETT  WILLIS 
One  often  wants  to  sew  a  pistol, 
knife  or  rifle  scabbard  with  buck- 
skin or  some  other  leather,  be- 
cause it  will  wear  longer,  be 
stronger  and  last  longer  than  if 
sewed  with  thread.  Many  people 
like  to  have  things  useful  as  well 
as  ornamental  and  the  following 
stitch  will  be  found  just  the  thing 
for  sewing  the  many  leather  arti- 
clas  to  be  found  in  the  sports- 
man's kit. 

Buckskin  is  the  best  for  sewing, 
though  fine  oiled  calfskin  is  also 
good.  Cut  the  strings  a  little 
wider  than  wanted  and  thoroughly 
soak  and  stretch  them.  They  may 
be  softened  by  rubbing  them  with 
a  soft  soap  made  by  boiling  shaved 
white  laundry  soap  in  an  equal 
amount  of  water.  English  Crown 
Saddle  Soap  is  the  best. 

You  can  punch  the  holes,  or 
make  them  with  an  awl.  The  latter 
will  make  the  best  job.  Begin  just 
as  though  you  were  going  to  sew  a 
regular  over-and-over  seam,  only 
don't  pull  the  loop  tight,  but  take 


another  stitch  through  the  loop, 
instead  of  through  the  leather 
again.  Then  pull  the  loop  tight 
and  make  the  next  stitch  through 
the  leather. 

The  stitch  begins  at  the  top. 
The  first  stitch  is  a  regular  over- 
and-over  stitch,  and  the  second  is 
the  fancy  stitch.  The  string  is 
sewed  through  from  right  to  left, 
both  in  the  stitch  through  the 
leather  and  the  stitch  through  the 
loop.  If  the  stitches  are  pulled 
tight  and  evenly,  it  will  look  just 
like  three  braid  on  top  and  will  be 
an  added  strength  as  well  as  an 
ornament  to  any  holster. 

KEEPING   EYED    FLIES 

BY  SHERWOOD  BUCKSTAFF 
Many  of  the  fishermen  who  use 
eyed  flies — and  there  are  more 
who  do  each  season — carry  their 
flies  with  them  in  a  tin  tobacco 
box.  This  is  easy  to  carry  and 
holds  plenty  of  flies.  But  it  is  very 
inconvenient.  If  you  want  a  small 
fly  it  is  sure  to  be  at  the  bottom  of 
the  box.  When  you  finally  get  it, 
three  or  four  other  flies  are  usu- 
ally hooked  in  with  it,  and  you 
must  put  down  your  box  and  dis- 
entangle them.  Quite  often  they 
drop  apart  unexpectedly  and  fall 
into  the  grass.  This  is  very  an- 
noying and  loses  much  time. 

Now  for  the  Kink.  Before  you 
go,  when  you  are  arranging  your 
tackle,  cut  several  sheets  of  rather 
stiff  paper  to  fit  your  fly  box. 
Stick  the  points  of  your  flies  in 
these  sheets,  arranging  them  ac- 
cording to  size,  color,  or  any  other 


KiNKS    OF    ALL    KINDS 


71 


way  you  prjefer.  Be  sure  that  the 
barb  is  pushed  clear  through  the 
paper.  Then,  on  the  stream,  when 
you  want  a  fly,  take  out  the  sheet 
containing  that  fly,  and  jerk  out 
the  fly.  Never  mind  if  you  tear 
a  big  hole — you  can  stick  the  fly 
back  in  a  little  to  one  side.  Prob- 
ably, if  you  are  like  most  anglers, 
you  will  want  to  rearrange  your 
flies  before  each  trip  anyway. 
This  Kink  takes  little  time  at 
home,  when  your  time  is  not  valu- 
able, and  saves  precious  minutes 
on  the  stream. 


THE  SELF-PULLED  WIND- 
ING KNOT 

BY  CHARLES  F.  SPEORL 
Here  is  a  simple  and  effective 
way  of  making  the  concealed  fin- 
ish on  rod  windings : 

Lay  your  winding  silk  along 
the  rod  in  a  loop  as  shown  in  the 
first  diagram.  Then  go  right  on 


winding  over  this  loop.  When 
the  winding  is  as  long  as  you  want 
it,  break  the  silk,  leaving  an  end  a 
couple  of  inches  long.  Bring  this 
end  (B)  through  the  loop. 

Still    holding    onto    end    B    to 


keep  the  winding  taut,  pull  stead- 
ily on  end  A.  This  will  pull  the 
loop  back  under  the  winding. 
When  the  end  of  the  loop  has  been 
pulled  about  half  way  through, 
cut  both  ends  of  the  line  that  are 
left  projecting  and  your  winding 
is  fastened  both  neatly  and  secure- 
ly. Be  careful  not  to  pull  the  loop 
too  far  through,  as  this  would 
leave  the  beginning  of  the  wind- 
ing insecurely  fastened. 


HOME-MADE    BAIT 
SOCKET 

BY  A.  L.  WEAVER,  JR. 
Being  quite  a  novice  at  the  fish- 
ing game  I  like  to  have  a  number 
of    different   kinds    of   bait,    so   I 


F/gl 


Fig.  2. 


make  them  during  the  winter 
months.  One  of  the  propositions 
I  ran  up  against  in  making  my 
own  baits  was  some  method  of 
securely  fastening  the  treble  hooks 
to  the  bait  and  after  unsuccess- 
fully trying  to  buy  some  screw 
eyes  such  as  are  used  on  the  "reg- 
ular" baits,  I  finally  hit  on  the 
following  scheme: 

I  bought  a  box  of  No.  216^ 
screw  eyes  and  a  box  of  station- 
er's aluminum  eyelets.  Then  beared 
a  hole  in  the  minnow  just  the 


72 


KINKS    OF    ALL    KINDS 


size  of  the  eyelet  and  put  in  the 
eyelet  until  the  ridge  came  down  to 
the  bait  and  drove  it  flush  with  a 
hammer  (Fig.  1).  I  took  a  screw 
eye  and  with  a  pair  of  pliers  bent 
the  eye  slightly  on  one  side  (Fig. 
2).  Then  put  on  the  treble  hooks 
and  screwed  them  into  the  bait  in 
the  usual  fashion. 

I  used  one  of  these  home-made 
baits  on  my  vacation  trip  and  of 
a  total  of  twelve  strikes  did  not 
lose  a  fish  due  to  the  hooks  pull- 
ing out. 

KEEPING    AGATE     TIP 

FROM  CHIPPING  OR 

BREAKING 

BY  C.  L.  CREUTZ 

During  August,  when  on  a  fish- 
ing trip  in  Wisconsin,  I  had  the 
misfortune  of  breaking  the  agate 
tip  on  a  Heddon  casting  rod.  I 
always  use  a  wire  leader  in  cast- 
ing, as  it  is  very  much  easier  to 
change  "plugs"  if  the  bass  are  not 
"looking  'em  over"  as  they  should. 
After  a  cast  I  retrieved  the  lure 
too  closely  to  the  tip,  causing  it  to 
break  the  agate.  Luckily,  I  had 


the  thought  struck  me,  "Why  not 
make  a  protector  for  the  tip?" 
No  sooner  said  than  done.  Took 
the  eraser  and  with  a  knife  cut  it 
into  about  six  or  seven  "protect- 
ors" looking  something  like  Fig- 
ure 1.  Took  a  small  nail  and 
poked  a  hole  through  from  top  to 
bottom  of  "protector."  Drew  my 
line  through  it  and  fastened  line 
to  leader  as  in  Fig.  2.  Had  no 
more  trouble  and  did  not  even 
have  to  watch  the  leader  when  I 
retrieved  the  lure,  as  the  moment 
the  rubber  protector  struck  the 
tip  I  had  to  quit  winding  her  up. 
Intend  to  have  a  couple  of  erasers 
in  my  tackle  box  for  emergency 
cases  in  the  future. 


A  HELGRAMITE   CAN 

BY  A.   R.  HARPER 

The  best  thing  I  have  ever 
found  to  carry  helgramites  in  is 
one  of  these  perforated  aluminum 
cans  which  are  designed  to  con- 
vert the  ordinary  coffee  pot  into  a 
percolator.  They  can  be  procured 
at  any  hardware  store  at  from  ten 
to  twenty  cents  according  to  size, 


F.g.2 


another  tip  with  me  and  had  an 
inspiration  to  keep  this  one  intact. 
Found  in  my  tackle  box  (for 
some  reason  or  other  placed  there 
several  years  ago)  an  Eberhard 
Faber  rubber  pencil  eraser.  Then 


quality  and  material  and  nerve  of 
the  emporium  you  happen  to  visit. 
I  have  seen  these  in  ten  cent 
stores. 

Mine  is  about  five  inches  high 
and  three  inches  in  diameter.     It 


KINKS    OF    ALL    KINDS 


73 


is  perforated  on  the  bottom  and 
the  sides,  but  the  top  is  solid.  Be- 
ing of  aluminum,  it  is  light,  does 
not  rust  and  is  easily  kept  clean. 

I  catch  my  supply  of  helgram- 
ites,   put    them    in   the    can   with 


some  leaves,  close  down  the  lid 
and  then  hold  the  can  under  water 
a  moment. 

A  vigorous  flirt  throws  out  ex- 
cess water,  so  I  can  put  it  in  my 
creel.  Every  half-hour  or  so  I 
give  them  a  fresh  wetting. 

They  have  so  much  fresh  air 
and  water  that  they  keep  in  fine 
condition  all  day. 


HANDY    GAME    CARRIER 

BY  M.  C.  STARK 
The  illustration  of  my  Handy 
Game  Carrier  inclosed  herewith  is 
almost  self-explanatory.  It  can 
be  made  at  a  cost  of  about  75 
cents.  The  shoulder  strap  is  good, 
strong  harness  leather,  1^  or  2 
inches  wide  by  24  inches  long. 
The  end  pieces  are  whang  or  belt- 
lace  leather,  4  by  8  inches,  which 
are  cut  into  eight  strips,  7  inches 


long,  to  within  1  inch  of  one  end, 
which  is  sewed  to  the  end  of 
shoulder  strap. 

Each  one  of  these  strips  is  slit 
for  4  inches  to  within  one-half 
inch  of  the  end.  To  hang  game, 
make  a  loop  of  one  of  the  strips 
and  put  the  head  of  game  through. 
The  loop  will  slip  down,  holding 
game  firmly.  Two,  or  even  three, 
birds  may  be  hung  in  one  loop. 

This  carrier  is  easily  slipped  in 
a  coat  pocket  and  will  hold  all  the 
game  one  man  wants  to  carry,  or 
more  ducks  than  the  law  allows 


one  to  have  in  a  day  in  Iowa. 
The  game  is  kept  cleaner  and  in 
better  shape  than  when  stuffed 
into  pockets  or  game  bags,  and  it 
may  be  shifted  from  one  shoulder 
to  the  other,  or  may  be  hung  over 


74 


KINKS    OF    ALL    KINDS 


a  stick  and  carried  by  two  men  if 
necessary. 

I  have  never  been  lucky  enough 
to  have  my  carrier  loaded  to  ca- 
pacity. 

SETTING    YOUR    WATCH 
BY  COMPASS 

BY  H.  B.  SCHELL 

Ever  have  your  watch  stop 
while  out  in  the  woods  and  no 
means  of  setting  it?  It  probably 
won't  happen  the  second  time,  but 
if  it  does,  try  this : 

With  your  compass,  or  by  means 
of  a  stream  or  lake  from  your 
map,  determine  which  direction  is 
south.  Then  point  the  hour  hand 
in  the  direction  of  the  sun.  Slow- 
ly turn  the  hand  around  the  dial, 
keeping  it  pointed  toward  the  sun, 
until  the  south  comes  half  way  be- 
tween the  hour  hand  and  12.  Pay 
no  attention  to  the  minute  hand. 

This  is  merely  the  problem  of 
using  the  watch  as  a  compass,  ex- 
cept it  is  solved  for  another  fac- 
tor, namely,  the  time. 

If  the  sun  is  not  shining,  hold 
the  point  of  your  knife,  or  a  pen- 
cil, vertically  against  your  thumb- 
nail. A  close  examination  will  re- 
veal a  faint  shadow  on  the  dull- 
est day,  from  which  the  direction 
of  the  sun  can  be  found. 


A  RUBBER  TAPE  KINK 

BY  " NUTMEG" 

Here  is  a  little  kink  in  shaping 
scabbards  and  holsters  for  rifles 
and  pistols:  After  wrapping  the 
arm  with  a  greased  cloth,  take  a 
roll  of  rubber  tape,  such  as  is 


used  in  winding  tires  or  electric 
wire  joints,  and  wind  over  the 
cloth  tightly,  lapping  slightly  so 
as  to  make  a  moisture  proof 
cover.  The  tape  not  only  pro- 
tects the  arm  from  moisture,  but 
binds  all  together,  so  that  the 
arm  may  be  taken  out  and  re- 
placed readily.  If  the  tape  has  a 
tendency  to  stick,  dust  the  outside 
with  powdered  chalk,  talc  or  sim- 
ilar powder. 

THE  BAIT  WITH  AN  OVER- 
COAT 

BY  PAUL  SKOBERG 
One  never-to-be-forgotten  sum- 
mer we  were  enjoying  life  in 
camp  at  Lake  Augusta.  We  were 
well  supplied  with  underwater 
baits,  which  had  done  their  duty 
nobly  when  it  came  to  filling  the 
larder.  But  there  came  a  time 
when  the  bass  would  touch  noth- 
ing but  floaters.  Of  these  we  had 
but  one  in  camp,  an  old  Heddon 
which  was  totally  lacking  in  paint. 
The  dark  color  of  the  wood 
when  wet  did  not  prove  very  at- 
tractive to  the  fish,  but  there  was 
no  paint  available  and  it  would 
take  a  week  to  get  some  new  baits 
into  camp.  Meanwhile  I  did  not 
intend  to  be  idle.  I  took  a  piece 
of  birch  bark,  split  it  pretty  thin 
and  lashed  it  around  the  bait  back 
of  the  collar  with  a  few  bits  of  old 
line.  Then  I  punched  out  a  hole 
for  the  belly  hook  and  hung  it 
back  in  place. 

When  I  got  through  it  was  2 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  a  bit 
early  for  the  evening  fishing,  so 


KINKS    OF    ALL    KINDS 


75 


I  sat  down  on  the  bank  to  con- 
sider a  bit.  My  partners  returned 
to  camp  and  laughed  with  glee  at 
my  homely  makeshift.  Cooney 
offered  to  make  every  meal  for  a 
week  if  I  caught  so  much  as  one 


bass  on  it.  The  laugh  was  on 
him,  however,  when  we  started 
out  fishing  later  that  afternoon, 
for  we  returned  to  camp  with  no 
less  than  twenty  nice  bass. 

If  you  should  look  into  my 
tackle  box  to-day  you  see  this 
very  bait  with  its  original  cover- 
ing of  birch  bark  as  well  as  an- 
other which  I  rigged  up  like  it 
later  with  a  few  improvements. 
These  baits  have  done  business 
for  me  on  many  different  lakes. 
The  trick  would  work  equally  well 
with  a$iy  other  make  of  plain 
floating  bait. 


THE    ALCOHOL    BLOW 
LAMP 

BY  GEO.  C.  WHITNEY 
About  the  handiest  little  kink 
that  I  know  of  is  this  little  alco- 
hol blow  lamp.  It  burns  alcohol 
and  one  filling  lasts  a  long  time, 
as  it  has  a  cap  which  makes  it 
airtight  when  not  in  use.  It  fits 
in  the  vest  pocket  or  tackle  box, 
costs  about  a  dollar  and  can  be 
made  at  home  out  of  a  piece  of 
brass  tubing,  a  wick  and  a  piece 
of  camera  hose. 

It  is   operated  by  lighting,  and 


then  blowing  the  flame  (which  is 
very  hot  and  clean)  on  the  article 
to  be  repaired,  at  the  same  time 
running  soft  solder  or  cement  on 
the  work. 

It  can  be  used  to  solder  fish 
hooks  together  in  gangs  or  tan- 
dem, temper  points  or  weed 
guards,  opening  eyes  in  hooks, 
adding  solder  weights,  soldering 
tips  on  steel  rods,  guides,  cement- 
ing on  agates,  making  small 
molds,  melting  rosin  or  cement 
onto  flies,  mending  leaky  minnow 
buckets,  tackle  boxes  and  a  hun- 
dred other  little  jobs.  And  I 
saved  the  day  on  my  last  trip  by 
repairing  a  puncture  in  the  canoe 
with  it  by  running  hot  ceiling  wax 
in  the  hole  over  and  under  the 


E  A 

canvas.  It  is  always  in  my  tackle 
box  with  a  piece  of  soft  solder,  a 
little  soldering  paste  and  a  piece 
of  jeweler's  cement.  It  is  handier 
than  a  soldering  iron  and  makes  a 
much  better  job. 


76 


KINKS    OF    ALL    KINDS 


A  BOBBER  WOBBLER 

BY  JOSEPH  W.  BOYLE 
One  rainy  Sunday  before  the 
season  had  opened  I  was  prac- 
ticing casting  on  the  lawn.  I 
searched  my  tackle  box  for  a 
proper  casting  weight,  but  the  best 
thing  I  could  find  was  a  small  egg- 
shaped  float  or  bobber.  The  wind 
was  pretty  strong  and  the  bobber 
rather  light  to  cast  well.  I  was 
just  figuring  on  adding  a  weight 
to  it  when  an  idea  struck  me. 
Why  not  make  a  real  wobbling 
bait  out  of  this  bobber?  You  see, 
I  had  been  reading  in  the  cata- 
ogs  about  the  new  wobblers  and 


I  wanted  one  to  try  out.  So  I  re- 
tired to  shelter  to  do  a  bit  of  fig- 
uring. In  a  few  minutes  my  wob- 
bler was  competed.  This  is  how 
it  was  made: 

On  either  side  of  the  bobber  I 
gouged  out  a  fluting  with  my 
jack-knife,  about  an  inch  long,  a 
quarter  of  an  inch  wide  and  deep 
in  the  middle  and  growing  shal- 
lower at  each  end.  Then  I  cut  a 
narrow  groove  down  the  back  and 
fastened  a  long-shanked  Sneck 
hook  in  it.  A  bit  of  copper  wire 
at  the  end  held  the  hook  firmly 
in  its  groove.  On  the  under  side 
of  the  bait  I  sunk  a  ringed  sinker 
for  a  balancing  weight.  A  screw 
eye  at  the  forward  end,  located  a 
bit  above  the  center,  completed  the 
job.  Total  cost  a  few  cents  only. 


This  bobber  had  a  red  head,  a 
yellow  middle  stripe  and  a  green 
after  part,  making  it  a  brilliant 
bit  of  color.  It  dived  and  wob- 
bled very  nicely  and  the  hook  be- 
ing set  with  the  point  up,  made  it 
practically  weedless. 


A    WATERPROOF     MATCH 
SAFE 

BY  CHARLES  BARTON,  JR. 
I  suppose  all  the  readers  of  the 
OUTER'S  BOOK  have  seen  and 
heard  of  several  dozens  of  water- 
proof match-boxes,  but  for  an  in- 
expensive home-made  article  mine 
should  take  the  cake.  The  neces- 
sary apparatus  consists  of  one 
empty  brass  shotgun  shell,  the 
smaller  the  gauge  the  better,  and 
one  ordinary  cork  stopper  to  fit 
the  same.  Take  a  handful  of 
matches,  place  in  the  box  and 
close  with  stopper,  thus  making 
a  waterproof  match-box.  To  prove 
this  I  filled  the  case  with  matches 
and  left  it  in  water  for  three  and 
one-half  hours,  and  at  the  end  of 
this  time  the  matches  were  per- 
fectly dry. 

A    BAIT    IMPROVEMENT 

BY  FRED  J.  SCHILDHAUER 
While  out  fishing  on  one  of  the 
lakes  near  my  home,  I  got  one  of 
those  "dandy"  strikes.  But  the 
fish  was  a  better  warrior  than  I 
and  carried  off  the  tail  gang  of 
my  artificial  minnow  as  a  trophy. 
I  did  not  have  an  extra  gang 
along  and  was  wondering  what 
to  do  when  my  eye  fell  on  a 
feathered  fly  attached  to  a  spoon 


KINKS    OF    ALL    KINDS 


77 


hook  in  my  outfit.  It  was  short 
work  to  put  this  in  place  of  the 
missing  gang  and  I  was  soon 
plugging  away  again.  At  the 
close  of  the  day  I  found  that  I 
had  been  the  lucky  one  out  of  the 
entire  bunch  that  were  fishing. 
Apparently  the  fish  had  favored 
my  patched  up  bait  above  all  other 
offerings.  Try  this  out  yourself 
and  you  will  find  it  a  real  im- 
provement. 


A  LEFT-HANDED  CASTING 
REEL 

BY  W.  J.  BALDWIN 
The  average  left-handed  man 
using  any  regular  casting  reel 
places  it  on  the  rod  in  a  reverse 
position  from  that  used  by  right- 
handed  anglers.  In  this  position, 
using  the  left  hand  for  casting, 
the  hand  often  gets  too  close  to 
the  reel  so  that  in  making  the  cast 


the  balanced  handle  of  the  reel 
tears  a  bunch  of  skin  from  the 
knuckle  of  the  finger. 

Having  had  the  skin  torn  from 
my  knuckles  on  several  occasions, 
I  made  my  casting  reel  over  so 


that  now  I  can  cast  without  fear 
of  torn  knuckles. 

The  enclosed  sketch  explains 
how  I  did  this. 

Figure  1  shows  reel  as  it  orig- 
inally was.  Figure  2  as  it  now  is. 


4  5 

To  make  change,  remove  handle, 
side  plate,  gears  and  inside  plate. 
Turn  reel  clock^wise  until  rod 
screw  hole  No.  5,  Fig.  1,  is  in  the 
position  of  No.  5,  Fig.  2.  It 
will  then  only  be  necessary  to 
drill  three  small  holes  in  each  side 
plate  to  correspond  with  rod  holes 
A,  B  and  C,  Fig.  2.  Then  replace 
all  screws  in  cross  rods,  gears, 
outer  plate  and  handle  and  the 
reel  will  then  hare  the  handle  in 
position  shown  in  Fig.  2,  in  which 
position  the  handle  cannot  possi- 
bly hit  the  knuckles. 


THE  EMERGENCY  MATCH 
SUPPLY 

BY  'Tuc"  MOEN 

While  on  a  canoe  trip  down  the 
Wisconsin  River  from  State  Line, 
Mich.,  to  Stevens  Point,  Wis.,  I 
came  upon  a  hunting  camp  near  a 


78 


KINKS    OF    ALL    KINDS 


spring.  I  stopped  to  get  a  drink, 
and  noticed  some  empty  shotgun 
shells  lying  about.  I  picked  up 
some,  trying  to  get  two  that 
would  fit  tightly,  to  be  used  as  a 
waterproof  match  box.  I  had  a 
bottle  full  of  matches  in  my 
pocket,  but  was  afraid  of  its 
breaking.  A  member  of  the  hunt- 
ing party  from  Madison  was 
watching  me  and  said,  "Here  is 
my  waterproof  match  box."  It 
was  one  of  those  little  metal 
boxes  that  had  contained  Gillette 
safety  razor  blades.  The  box  was 
filled  with  matches  and  then  sealed 
with  paraffine,  making  it  water- 
tight. It  is  very  small,  light  in 
weight  and  quickly  opened  when 
needed.  This  is  to  be  used  only 
in  case  of  emergency,  of  course. 
I  think  this  little  article  should  be 
in  the  pocket  of  every  outer,  and 
sometimes  may  save  a  life. 


snap  and  swivel  must  be  placed 
between  the  single  hook  and  the 
double  hook. 


A  GOOD  FROG  HOOK 

BY  J.  A.  POTTS 
After  losing  my  frog  hook  one 
day,  I  struck  upon  the  following 
plan :  Take  an  ordinary  treble 
hook,  such  as  used  on  all  brass 
plugs,  and  cut  one  hook  off.  Next 
take  a  plain  hook  and  slip  the 
point  through  the  eye  of  the  treble 
hook.  Now  slip  the  single  hook 
through  the  frog's  lips  and  the 
double  hook  up  through  the  frog's 
legs.  This  makes  a  good  hook 
that  is  semi-weedless  and  will 
help  to  get  the  big  ones.  The 
hook  can  be  used  this  way  for 
small  frogs,  but  for  larger  ones  a 
piece  ^f  wire  or,  handier  yet,  a 


AN    EXCELLENT    FLOAT 

FOR     LIVE     BAIT 

FISHING 

BY  FRANK  E.  WILDER 
Everyone,  I  presume,  has  gone 
trout  fishing  when  nothing  in  his 
tackle-box  would  bring  a  rise,  but 
still  trout  could  be  seen  eagerly 
looking  for  some  insects  which 
dropped  into  the  stream.  You  try 
putting  some  of  these  insects  on 
your  hook,  but  they  are  very  deli- 
cate and  after  they  have  been  in 
the  water  a  few  seconds  the 
weight  of  the  hook  drags  them 
under  the  surface  and  they  look 
like  anything  but  the  insects  they 
are. 

Here  is  a  kink  to  make  this 
method  of  fishing  practical :  First, 
take  a  sound  cork  and  cut  a  small 
piece  three-eighths  of  an  inch  long 
and  three-sixteenths  of  an  inch 
wide  and  of  the  same  thickness. 
Round  the  edges  so  that  the  cross- 
section  is  egg-shaped.  Now  cut 
the  gut  of  a  snelled  hook,  as  in 
Fig.  1,  just  below  the  knot.  Soak 
the  gut  for  a  short  time  in  water 
and  then  thread  in  a  small-sized 
darning  needle,  as  in  Fig.  2.  Bend 
the  end  back  and  run  the  needle 
lengthwise  through  the  center  of 
the  cork.  Slide  the  cork  down  to 
the  end  of  the  winding  as  in  Fig. 
3.  Unthread  the  needle  and  tie 
the  loop  in  the  end  of  the  gut. 
Fig.  4  shows  the  way  the  hook 
looks  when  baited. 


KINKS    OF    ALL    KINDS 


79 


Now  all  that  there  is  left  to  do 
is  to  get  your  fishing  outfit  and 
go  to  your  favorite  trout  stream 


c 


where  I  hope  you  will  try  out 
this  little  kink  and  come  home 
with  a  good  catch. 


THE  LOOP  WINDING 
PULL 

BY  SIDNEY  V.  RAY 

One  of  the  simplest,  easiest  and 
quickest  methods  of  laying  rod 
windings  so  as  to  conceal  the  ends 
is  the  following: 

The  winding  is  started  by  lay- 
ing the  free  end  under  and  taking 
three  to  five  turns  over  it  as 
shown  in  Fig.  1. 

Have  ready  a  bit  of  thread, 
either  the  same  as  the  winding  is 
being  made  of  or,  if  that  is  too 
light  in  weight,  a  bit  heavier.  It 
is  good  policy  to  wax  this  bit  of 
thread  with  ordinary  beeswax. 
Make  a  loop  of  this  bit,  lay  it  on 
the  rod  and  proceed  to  wrap  it 
under  the  last  three  or  four  turns 
of  the  winding.  (Fig.  11.) 


Then  clip  the  end  of  your  wind- 
ing silk,  leaving  an  inch  or  two 
free  and  holding  the  wrapping 
firmly  meanwhile  with  the  thumb. 
Insert  this  free  end  into  the  loop 
as  in  Fig.  11. 

Then  grasp  the  loose  ends  of  the 
loop,  which  should  be  long  enough 
to  give  a  secure  hold,  and,  still 
holding  the  wrapping  to  prevent 
loosening  give  the  loop  a  quick, 
snappy  pull.  This  brings  the  loop 
out  from  under  the  turns  which 
were  taken  over  it,  and  with  it 
the  free  end  of  the  winding.  Cut 
off  both  free  ends  closely  and 
the  winding  is  complete. 

Do  not  use  the  same  place  in 
the  loop  thread  for  more  than  one 
tie,  as  the  friction  of  dragging  the 
free  end  under  wears  it  pretty  thin 


FIG. I 


r/c,.in 


and  it  is  annoying  to  have  the  loop 
break  just  as  one  has  nearly  com- 
pleted the  winding. 


GREASING  DECOYS 

BY  "ANON" 

Although  an  enthusiastic  fisher- 
man, it  warms  my  heart  to  know 
that  the  hunters  and  other  out- 
door men  are  going  to  get  a 
chance  at  that  Kink  Department. 
It  never  seemed  quite  fair  to  me 
to  confine  that  interesting  part  of 
the  good  old  OUTER'S  BOOK  to 


80 


KINKS    OF    ALL    KINDS 


one  class  of  enthusiasts.  "More 
power  to  it!" 

The  first  kink  that  occurs  to  me 
is  one  that  I  am  afraid  will  be 
known  to  all  the  old  duck  hunt- 
ers, but  I  know  that  it  will  be  a 
great  help  to  any  of  the  "crew" 
who  are  not  familiar  with  it. 

Have  you  ever  sat  out  in  your 
blind,  or  hung  on  to  a  "clamper" 
when  the  thermometer  is  way  be- 
low the  freezing  mark,  and  watch 
your  decoys  gradually,  but  surely, 
become  completely  encoated  with 
ice?  They  look  as  much  like  a 
duck  as  one  of  the  small  chunks 
of  ice  floating  near  by,  and  if 
there  happens  to  be  a  sun  they 
shine  like  the  proverbial  pair  of 
nigger's  heels.  Did  someone  say 
"ducks?"  Absolutely  no  chance 
these  days  with  an  average  of 
two  hunters  to  each  bird. 

How  can  you  avoid  it?  Easy! 
Just  give  each  little  wooden 
birdie  a  nice  warm  coat  of  any 
colorless  grease.  Anything  will 
go;  from  lard  to  vaseline,  and  I 
have  found  that  it  more  than  re- 
pays for  the  small  amount  of  in- 
convenience, and  they  will  shed 
water  like  a  real  duck's  back. 


MAKES    FOR   ACCURATE 
STATEMENTS 

BY  E.  E.  ROWLANDS 

You  know  a  fisherman  wants 
to  be  accurate  in  his  statements 
regarding  the  size  of  his  catch,  so 
in  order  to  tell  the  folks  at  home 
just  how  long  the  "big  one"  was, 
I  devised  this  plan  last  season:  I 


took  a  small  brush  and  some  red 
enamel  and  painted  small  figures 
an  inch  apart  on  the  under  side 
of  the  first  joint  of  my  rod.  It  is 
handy,  no  weight  and  out  of  sight 
except  when  you  want  to  see  it. 


A   PLUG  CARRIER 

BY  DEAN  O.  SMITH 
I  expect  that  all  of  us  have 
had  more  or  less  trouble  finding  a 
satisfactory  pocket  carrier  for 
bass  pugs  while  fishing,  as  every 
person  always  carries  several  for 
a  change  of  baits  during  the  day. 
For  quite  a  while  I  carried  mine 
in  their  original  pasteboard  boxes, 


•O 


but  these  were  bulky  to  have  in 
the  pockets,  and  of  course  you  get 
them  watersoaked,  and  when  in 
this  condition  the  boxes  often 
came  apart  and  the  hooks  at- 
tached themselves  to  the  different 
parts  of  your  anatomy.  After  en- 
during this  for  a  while  I  fitted  up 
a  carrier  which  has  given  very 
satisfactory  serrice. 

I  procured  a  piece  of  automo- 
bile inner  tubing  about  eight 
inches  long  and  sewed  one  end 
of  it  shut,  using  heavy  waxed 
thread.  On  the  other  end  I  left 
one  side  longer  than  the  other  and 
cut  a  buttonhole  in  it,  sewing 
around  it  with  a  lighter  waxed 
thread  to  keep  it  from  tearing  out. 


KINKS    OF    ALL    KINDS 


81 


I  sewed  a  button  on  the  shorter 
side,  buttoned  it  shut  and  it  was 
done.  I  made  my  carrier  out  of 
a  small  tube  and  it  holds  two  min- 
nows easily.  If  desired  a  larger 
tube  can  be  used  and  a  seam 
sewed  through  it  lengthwise,  di- 
viding it  into  two  compartments : 
If  you  wish,  the  lower  end  may 
be  vulcanized  shut.  This  makes 
a  neater  job,  but  is  no  more  serv- 
iceable. The  hooks  do  not  catch 
in  the  rubber  or  penetrate  through 
it  easily  and  it  takes  up  less  space 
than  any  carrier  I  have  ever  used. 


UNHOOKING    THE     BULL- 
HEAD 

BY  Jos.  GIERISCH 
Bullheads  are  such  slippery  fel- 
lows and  capable  of  inflicting 
such  mean  wounds  with  their 
"horns"  that  taking  them  off  of  the 
hook  is  not  the  easiest  matter  in 
the  world.  To  make  things  worse, 
they  have  a  habit,  when  they  take 
a  hook,  of  swallowing  it  way  out 


of  sight.  The  following  method 
will  make  the  hook  extraction 
comparatively  simple :  Place  in- 
dex finger  of  left  hand  behind 
fin  A  in  diagram  and  second 


ringer  behind  fin  B.  This  leaves 
the  thumb  of  the  left  hand  free  to 
force  open  the  lower  jaw  at  C, 
while  the  right  hand  manipulates 
the  hook. 


AN  EASILY  MADE  LIVE 
BOX 

BY  E.  H.  COULTAS 

There  are  many  different  styles 

of  good  live  boxes.    A  very  handy 

one  can  be  made  in  a  short  time 

if  you  happen  to  have  an  old  pack- 


ing case  and  an  auger.  Cleat  the 
top  of  the  case  for  a  cover  and 
hinge  it  with  a  couple  of  bits  of 
leather  strap  if  you  have  nothing 
better.  Get  a  couple  of  rough 
logs  and  nail  one  on  either  side 
of  the  box  as  shown  in  the  dia- 
gram to  serve  as  floats.  Put 
through  the  spikes  to  hold  these 
log  floats,  from  the  inside.  With 
the  auger  bore  holes  in  sides,  ends 
and  bottoms  to  provide  for  circu- 
lation of  water.  Put  a  hasp  on 
the  cover  and  the  job  is  done. 

Just  anchor  this  box  anywhere 
that  the  wave  action  will  not  bat- 
ter it  to  pieces.  When  you  want 
to  take  out  your  fish  don't  bother 
trying  to  net  them.  Just  drag  the 
box  ashore.  The  water  will  drain 


82 


KINKS    OF    ALL    KINDS 


out  as  fast  as  you  pull  it  up  and 
then  you  can  reach  in  and  pick 
out  what  fish  you  want  with  your 
hands.  Set  the  box  adrift  again 
and  the  rest  of  the  fish  in  it  will 
be  none  the  worse,  of  course,  for 
their  momentary  air  bath. 

FOR    BEE    STINGS 

BY  M.  A.  MUELLER 
Here  is  a  Kink  many  of  the 
brothers  will  be  thankful  for — 
anyway  those  who  have  been 
stung  by  yellow-jackets  and  bum- 
ble-bees, and  as  they  are  now 
ripe,  this  Kink  will  be  in  good 
order.  Here  it  is,  and  see  how 
simple:  Get  a  bottle  of  Win- 
chester Crystal  Rifle  Cleaner  and 
as  soon  as  stung  by  a  bee  rub  a 
little  of  the  "dope"  on  the  spot  or 
little  hole  left  by  the  sting.  It  is 
a  good  plan  to  first  squeeze  out  as 
much  of  the  poison  as  possible 
before  applying.  There  is  no 
danger  from  the  use  of  this  chem- 
ical and  results  are  almost  in- 
stantaneous. 


A   CAMP   REFRIGERATOR 

BY  DONALD  DUNCAN 
Hang  a  covered  tin  bucket  from 
the  limb  of  a  tree.  Take  any 
kind  of  a  cloth  bag  big  enough  to 
just  slip  over  the  bucket.  If  you 
haven't  a  bag  handy,  a  few  coarse 
stitches  with  twine  in  a  bit  of  old 
burlap  will  make  a  nice  one.  Put 
a  few  handfuls  of  dirt  in  the  bot- 
ton  of  the  bag,  slip  it  up  over 
the  bucket  and  tie  with  a  draw- 


string. Wet  the  dirt  thoroughly 
and  your  refrigerator  is  complete. 
The  wet  dirt  will  keep  the  entire 
bag  moist,  and  the  bag  in  drying 
will  cool  the  contents  of  the 


DIRT 


bucket  nicely.  Drinking  water, 
milk,  butter,  etc.,  can  be  cooled 
very  nicely  in  this  manner. 


A  FISH   BAG 

BY    WlLBER    DOWLIN 

I  have  discarded  fish  stringers. 
I  use  a  fish  bag  of  my  own  manu- 
facture instead.  I  find  it  to  be 
handy  and  humane.  I  take  a 
gunny  sack  and  run  a  hem  around 
the  mouth  about  one  inch  in 
width.  Leave  a  slit  in  the  hem 
through  which  to  run  the  rope. 
Take  a  piece  of  slight  sash  cord 
about  six  feet  in  length  and  tie  a 
knot  at  one  end  and  run  the  other 
end  through  a  seine  float  and  then 
through  the  hem  in  the  bag, 
bringing  the  end  out  through  the 


KINKS    OF   ALL    KINDS 


83 


slit  and  pass  the  end  through  the 
float  in  the  opposite  direction, 
then  pass  the  end  through  an- 
other float  and  tie  a  knot  in  the 
end  of  the  cord.  The  cord 
should  be  the  right  size  to  work 
snugly  in  the  float.  To  fasten  the 
bag  draw  the  loose  end  of  the 
cord  through  the  float  next  to 
the  bag.  It  is  then  impossible  to 
open  it  from  the  inside.  It  is 
easily  opened  by  drawing  the  cord 
through  from  the  inside.  By  using 
this  bag  you  can  keep  your  catch  in 
the  water  all  the  time.  When  you 
stop  to  fish  a  pool  drop  the  bag 
into  the  water  and  the  loose  float 
will  show  you  where  your  catch 
is  at  all  times  and  you  can  keep 
it  near  you.  When  you  are  ready 
to  start  home  fill  the  bag  with 
grass  or  leaves  and  dip  in  the 
water.  The  filling  will  hold 
enough  moisture  to  keep  the  fish 
alive  a  long  time.  In  this  way 
you  will  preserve  the  flavor  of 
the  fish.  A  fish  should  never  be 
killed  till  it  is  ready  to  be  dressed 
for  the  pan. 

A     SNELLED     HOOK 
CARRIER 

BY  A.  F.  DRESEL 
I  usually  snell  my  hooks  my- 
self, using  tourndown-eyed  hooks, 
and  let  the  gut  dry  straight  by 
hanging  up  with  a  weight  at  the 
bottom.  I  make  a  very  satisfac- 
tory hook  carrier  as  follows :  A 
cardboard  mailing  tube  of,  say, 
1%  inches  in  diameter  is  plugged 
at  one  end  by  a  glued  piece  of  54- 
inch  cork.  The  stopper  is  a  bev- 


eled cork,  cut  through  lengthwise. 
To  the  inside  surfaces  of  the  cork 
glue,  or  cement,  a  lining  of  felt, 
as  per  diagram,  the  felt  forming 


The.  Corf 
S/?/it  and 


Fe/f 


a  hinge  at  the  wider  end  of  the 
cork. 

When  on  a  fishing  trip,  moisten 
the  felt  and  place  several  of  the 
looped  ends  of  the  snells  therein, 
and  they  will  be  pliable  when 
wanted. 


FOR   GILLETTE   USERS 

BY  BEN  P.  LIPPY 
No  doubt  a  number  of  the  read- 
ers of  OUTER'S  BOOK  own  a  Gil- 
lette razor  and  throw  the  blades 
away  after  using  a  short  time, 
owing  to  the  difficulty  of  having 
them  sharpened  satisfactorily.  I 
have  owned  one  of  these  valuable 


84 


KINKS    OF    ALL    KINDS 


friends  over  seven  years  and  am 
still  using  the  blades  that  came 
with  it.  After  shaving  I  simply 
strop  the  blade  by  holding  it  firmly 
between  the  thumb  and  index 
finger,  left  hand,  edge  from  you, 
and  rubbing  the  thumb  of  right 
hand  over  the  edge  on  all  four 
edges.  Do  not  strop  too  much. 
Go  easy  at  first  and  you'll  learn 
just  the  amount.  Try  this  and 
note  how  your  blades  will  last. 


A  TURTLE  TRAP 

BY  WM.  SIMS  BUNN' 
While  the  following  kink  may 
not  be  new  to  all  the  readers,  at 
the  same  time  it  is  worth  trying 
for  those  uninitiated  in  this  way 
of  catching  turtle.  The  plan  is  as 
follows :  First  get  a  rough  board, 
say  12  inches  wide  and  as  long  as 
the  water  and  bottom  justify.  On 
this  board  nail  a  quantity  of  stout 
ringed  hooks  a  few  inches  apart 


diagonally,  and  at  the  top  of  the 
board  (which  will  be  sitting  in 
the  water  at  an  angle  of  about  30 
deg.)  tie  securely  a  chicken  or  rab- 
bit. In  a  day  or  two  a  gentle  (?) 
odor  will  be  wafted  over  the 
face  of  the  waters  which  will  stir 
up  the  turtles'  olfactories  irresist- 
ibly. They  will  all  answer  the 


summons  of  the  decayed  bait,  and 
will  try  to  climb  up  the  board, 
with  the  result  that  the  hooks  will 
catch  them  in  the  foot.  By  way 
of  anticipating  and  brushing  aside 
any  suggestion  that  this  method  is 
not  humane,  I  believe  any  turtle 
would  rather  have  a  hook  in  his 
foot  than  through  his  bony  mouth, 
and  that  the  above  method  will  be 
the  less  painful.  Have  the  chicken 
or  rabbit  a  few  inches  above  the 
water. 


TWO     OLD     FRIENDS 

BY  R.  T.  ERVIN 

Take  two  empty  wooden  spools 
and  drive  either  a  screw  or  a  nail 
through  the  hollow  center  into  the 
side  of  a  wall  at  such  distance  as 
you  wish  (ordinarily  some  five  or 
six  feet  apart),  so  that  you  can 
stand  and  pass  the  line  over  one 
and  then  over  the  other,  and  back 
again  without  having  to  move,  let- 
ting the  line  run  off  the  rod  onto 
the  wooden  spools.  This  spreads 
the  line  out,  so  that  the  air  will 
dry  it,  and  yet  it  never  comes  into 
contact  with  any  metal  substance. 

The  other  "kink"  is  how  to  tie 
the  two  ends  of  a  silk  line  to- 
gether so  they  will  not  slip.  Tie 
an  ordinary  single  loop  in  the  end 
of  one  line.  Run  the  other  line 
through  this,  and  then  tie  a  simi- 
lar loop  with  this  end  around  the 
other  line.  Draw  the  knots  tight 
around  each  line.  Then  catch  the 
lines  and  pull  them  until  the  two 
ends  are  drawn  together.  It  will 
be  found  that  each  single  knot 


KINKS    OF    ALL    KINDS 


85 


locks  the  other  so  that  it  cannot 
slip* 

No  doubt  many  of  your  readers 
have  used  each  of  these  "kinks," 
but  .there  are  others  who  have 


not,  and  they  may  be  of  service  to 
them. 

*Editor's  Note.— This  is  the  well- 
known  and  efficient  Waterman's 
knot. 


JUST  ADHESIVE  PLASTER 

BY  C.  E.  McOoRMAND 

Speaking  of  kinks,  do  you  know 
that  a  strip  of  common  adhesive 
plaster,  or  electrician's  tape, 
pasted  over  a  smooth  steel  or  rub- 
ber shotgun  butt-plate,  makes  the 
very  best  substitute  for  a  checked 
one?  You  can't  make  it  slip.  I 
tried  it  on  my  old  Maynard  some 
five  years  ago  and  it  is  still  doing 
service  as  well  as  the  most  ex- 
pensive imported  butt-plate. 


A  "REAL"  OIL  FOR  REELS 

BY  FRANK  HARRIS 

Here's  a  good  home-made  oil 
for  reels,  and,  by  the  way,  it  is 
also  fine  for  typewriters,  sewing 
machines,  etc.  It  will  not  gum, 
and  in  every  way  is  fully  equal  of 
standard  oils  at  a  cost  that's  next 
to  nothing. 

These  are  the  "makin's" :  One- 
half  pint  kerosene,  one  teaspoon- 
ful  good,  pure  olive  or  sweet  oil, 
and  if  you  want  to  be  extra  fancy, 
a  few  drops  of  oil  of  peppermint 


or  spearmint,  to  kill  the  kerosene 
odor. 

Don't  condemn  this  without  a 
trial.  You'll  be  surprised.  "It's 
slippery  as  an  eel." 


A  WIRE  GAME  CARRIER 
BY  HARRY  O.  HANNA 

All  of  us  who  hunt  rabbits  and 
other  small  game  have  often 
wished  for  a  hand  carrier,  espe- 
cially after  hunting  all  day  and 
getting  a  good  bag,  as  carrying 
eight  or  ten  rabbits  in  a  coat  gets 
very  tiresome  on  the  shoulders. 
Most  of  us  also  have  wanted  to 
hang  the  game  in  the  spring-house 
over  night  and  had  to  search  for  a 
piece  of  cord  or  wire  to  'string 
them  on.  Have  found  the  follow- 
ing simple  device  very  handy: 

Take  a  piece  of  stiff  wire  about 
19  inches  long  and  bend  in  nearly 


a  circle.  Then  take  wooden  han- 
dle from  an  old  bucket  bail  for 
handle,  as  per  illustration.  Next 
put  small  hook  on  both  ends  of 
wire  and  sharpen  lower  hook. 

To  use,  run  sharpened  hook 
through  rabbit's  leg  and  engage 
lower  hook  with  upper. 


86 


KINKS    OF   ALL    KINDS 


The  carrier  is  very  handy  for 
the  mttskrat  trapper  also.  Can  be 
used  with  shoulder  straps  if  de- 
sired. 

Brothers,  stick  one  in  your 
pocket  and  try  it  this  fall. 


NEEDLES   AND    THREAD 
BY  D.  WIGGINS 

Many  of  us  wish  to  sew  on  a 
button  or  a  patch  for  ourselves 
when  out  conversing  with  the  red 
gods.  We  usually  find  that  nee- 
dles and  thread  have  been  left  be- 
hind. 

In  my  haversack  is  a  spool  of 
linen  thread,  with  the  hole  through 
the  spool  reamed  out  to  a  suffi- 
cient diameter  to  accommodate  a 
paper  of  large  needles  folded  up 
into  a  roll. 

In  this  manner  the  needles  are 
always  where  I  need  them,  and 
are  not  sticking  me  in  the  back. 
I  always  have  one  threaded  with 
a  good,  long  thread,  as  when  your 
hands  are  cold  or  you  are  tired,  it 
is  a  great  help. 


ANOTHER  PORKER 

BY  L.  K.  HARVEY 
Here  is  a  good  dress  for  a  bit 
of  pork  rind  on  a  No.  4  Skinner 
spoon  that  has  proven  very  at- 
tractive to  the  bass  at  times.  Cut 
a  wedge  of  pork  rind  about  a 
quarter  of  an  inch  thick,  an  inch 
and  a  half  wide  at  the  base  and 
two  and  a  half  inches  long.  Let 
it  run  to  a  triangle  as  shown  in 
the  diagram  and  shave  the  under 
side  until  it  runs  down  to  a  true 


point.  Slit  the  base  of  the  tri- 
angle into  three  equal  parts  and 
hang  one  of  these  pieces  over  each 
hook  in  the  treble  gang.  Then 
pull  the  pork  rind  straight  out 


Side  View 


View 


with  thumb  and  finger  and  give  it 
a  little  twist.  This  will  tend  to 
make  it  spin  when  in  the  water. 
This  bait  has  caught  bass  for  me 
sometimes  when  all  others  failed. 


RAW    ONION    POULTICE 
FOR  SNAKEBITE 

BY  G.  E.  WHITMORE 
Take  an  onion  or  several  of 
them  if  they  are  small,  crush  or 
pound  them  to  a  pulp  and  use  as 
a  poultice  on  the  wound  made  by 
the  reptile.  Whisky,  if  at  hand, 
should  be  taken  in  moderate 
doses,  and  of  course,  a  doctor 
should  be  sought  as  soon  as  pos- 
sible. 

Twice  I  have  used — and  with 
good  results — the  onion  poultice 
on  dogs  that  were  bitten  by  rat- 
tlesnakes. I  also  know  of  two 
persons  who  were  bitten  by  rat- 
tlesnakes and  whose  lives  were 


KINKS    O'F    ALL    KINDS 


87 


saved  by  no  other  remedies  than 
the  onion  poultice  and  whisky. 
One  of  these  was  a  man  of  76, 
the  other  was  a  boy  of  12. 


THE    TIN    CAN    RANGE 
PHONE 

BY  E.  A.  CROLINS 

I  think  it  best  at  first  to  give 
you  a  little  history  of  ourselvep 
to  show  how  the  kink  herein  de- 
scribed was  developed. 

Several  members  of  the  Fort 
Dearborn  Rifle  Club  of  Chicago, 
including  myself,  have  been  going 
out  Sunday  mornings  for  outdoor 
practice.  As  the  club  at  present 
has  only  an  indoor  range,  we 
have  selected  a  good  place  along 
the  banks  of  the  Chicago  Drain- 
age Canal,  just  west  of  Argo,  111. 
Argo  is  a  small  town  southwest 
of  Chicago  and  can  be  reached  on 
the  street  car  from  where  we  live 
in  about  45  minutes.  We  are  then 
compelled  to  walk  about  a  mile  to 
the  range. 

Anybody  living  in  Chicago  will 
know  that  hills  suitable  for  target 
butts  are  scarcer  than  hens'  teeth 
in  this  vicinity.  The  spot  which 
we  have  been  using  all  summer 
is  ideal  as  a  range,  owing  to  the 
fact  that  the  engineers,  when 
building  the  canal,  obligingly  left 
miniature  mountains  of  clay  and 
limestone  about  25  to  30  feet  high 
along  the  banks  of  the  canal. 
These  make  a  fine  backstop  for 
even  the  wildest  shot. 

As  there  is  no  habitation  or  any 
place  to  keep  equipment  near  our 
range,  we  are  obliged  to  carry  all 


the  necessary  articles  with  us, 
which  means  pack  them  about  a 
mile.  We  have  overcome  this 
handicap  very  nicely  as  follows : 

Last  spring  we  carried  a  couple 
of  two-by-fours,  three  feet  long, 
and  a  board  twelve  inches  wide, 
one  inch  thick  and  three  feet' 
long,  out  with  us  on  our  first  trip. 
This  lumber  nailed  together,  using 
the  two-by-fours  for  legs  and 
sharpening  same,  makes  a  good 
arrangement  to  hold  our  targets. 
We  simply  drive  the  pointed  up- 
rights into  the  ground.  When  we 
are  through  we  pull  the  whole 
thing  up  and  hide  it  under  some 
near-by  shrubs  until  the  next 
time.  The  rest  of  our  equipment 
consists  of  some  paper  targets  and 
thumb  tacks. 

Our  rifles  are  .22  caliber  and  we 
use  long  rifle  Lesmok  or  semi- 
smokeless  ammunition.  We  shoot 
at  50  and  100  yards.  Right  here 
I  wish  to  state  that  the  .22  long 
rifle  cartridge  is  exceedingly  ac- 
curate even  at  100  yards,  and  will 
penetrate  our  one-inch  pine  board 
at  that  distance  and  never  even 
hesitate.  I  think  that  is  pretty 
good  for  a  .22,  don't  you? 

Thus  endeth  our  history.  Now 
for  the  kink. 

This  fall  the  weather  has  been 
very  windy,  and  we  found  it  diffi- 
cult and  sometimes  impossible  to 
shout  loud  enough  to  call  the  shots 
from  the  target  to  the  firing  point, 
even  with  the  assistance  of  a 
small  megaphone. 

One  windy  day,  after  all  of  us 
had  strained  our  lungs  while  tend- 
ing target,  I  began  to  figure  out 


88 


KINKS    OF    ALL    KINDS 


how  this  difficulty  could  be  ovei> 
come.  Suddenly  I  remembered 
the  telephones  I  used  to  make 
when  I  was  a  small  boy,  out  of 
two  tin  cans  and  a  piece  of  thread. 
This  gave  me  a  hunch,  and  I  im- 
mediately proceeded  to  get  busy 
in  the  following  manner : 

After  procuring  two  tin  cans 
about  four  inches  in  diameter  and 
five  inches  long,  I  soldered  two 
strong  hooks,  one  on  each  side  of 
the  cans  well  up  toward  the  top 
or  opening.  The  hooks  I  placed 
opposite  each  other  running 
lengthwise,  with  the  points  to- 
ward the  bottom  of  the  can. 

I  then  purchased  one-quarter  of 
a  pound  of  No.  5  music  wire, 
which  runs  about  two  thousand 
feet  to  the  pound  and  possesses 
great  tensile  strength.  The  boring 
of  a  very  small  hole  in  the  bot- 
tom of  each  can  finished  the  job. 

The  following  Sunday  I  started 
out  with  the  rest  of  the  fellows, 
entertaining  considerable  qualms 
as  to  whether  my  field  telephone 
would  work  at  so  great  a  distance. 
Upon  arriving  at  the  range  we 
cut  four  sapling  stakes  about  three 
feet  long  and  drove  two  into  the 
ground  at  each  end  of  the  range, 
just  far  enough  apart  to  allow  the 
cans  to  fit  in  between.  The  hooks 
on  the  cans  of  course  encircled 
the  stakes.  We  then  inserted  the 
ends  of  the  wire  through  the  holes 
in  the  bottom  of  the  cans  and 
after  threading  them  through  a 
small  glass  bead  about  one-quarter 
of  an  inch  in  diameter,  twisted 
them  around  the  bead.  The  bead 
was  placed  on  the  ends  of  the 


wire  to  prevent  it  from  pulling 
through  the  hole  in  the  can. 

All  that  was  left  to  do  was  to 
stretch  the  wire  tight  enough  to 
clear  the  ground  so  that  it  would 
not  touch  anything,  and  we  were 
all  set. 

Much  to  our  delight  the  tele- 
phone worked  fine.  Although  it 
was  a  very  windy  day  and  there 
was  considerable  hum  caused  by 
the  wind  vibrating  the  wire,  we 
experienced  no  trouble  at  all  in 
communicating  with  each  other  at 
100  yards.  Of  course,  it  was  not 
as  distinct  as  a  regular  telephone, 
but  by  speaking  slowly  and  dis- 
tinctly we  could  understand  every- 
thing that  was  said  with  very  lit- 
tle repeating.  We  found  that  loud 
talking  caused  too  much  vibra- 
tion and  that  a  normal  tone  of 
voice  worked  much  better. 

The  total  cost  of  the  outfit  was 
about  50  cents  and  about  thirty 
minutes'  labor,  but  it  certainly 
paid  for  itself  the  first  day.  It 
not  only  made  our  muting  pleas- 
anter,  but  relieved  the  strain  on 
our  vocal  organs. 

One  word  of  advice  to  anyone 
who  desires  to  make  a  telephone 
of  this  character:  Considerable 
care  must  be  taken  in  handling 
this  fine  music  wire,  as  it  is  steel 
and  has  a  tendency  to  curl  and 
kink.  However,  should  you  kink 
and  break  the  wire,  it  makes  no 
difference,  as  the  damage  can  be 
easily  repaired  by  simply  tying  the 
ends  in  a  figure  eight  knot.  Con- 
fidentially, I  wish  to  state  that  we 
had  four  knots  in  our  line  before 
we  had  it  installed,  but  it  did  not 


KINKS    OF    ALL    KINDS 


89 


seem  to  affect  the  transmission  of 
sound  in  the  least. 

In  taking  the  'phone  down,  all 
we  did  was  to  unhook  the  can  at 
one  end  and  wind  the  wire  around 
it.  After  binding  the  wire  tight 
around  the  can  with  a  rubber 
band  and  placing  everything  in  a 
small  cloth  bag  the  'phone  was 
ready  to  be  transported  home. 
The  whole  thing  is  not  very  large 
and  does  not  weigh  over  a  pound. 


A   KNIFE   SHEATH   KINK 

BY  TOM  MOORE 
I  have  seen  many  of  the  ordi- 
nary sheath-knives  carried  in  the 
ordinary  sheath,  which  is  sewed 
along  the  edge  against  the  inside 
of  which  the  keen  blade  of  the 
Tatro  rests,  with  the  handle  usu- 
ally protruding  handily.  I  have 
seen  knives  thus  sheathed  edge 
their  way  out  through  this  seam, 
and  while  in  my  observation  it  only 
resulted  in  a  lost  knife  or  a  dam- 
aged case,  it  might  also  easily 
have  resulted  in  a  damaged  leg  or 
a  spoiled  trip.  My  kink  was  to 
put  two  copper  rivets  through  the 
sheath  in  front  of  the  knife  edge, 
one  about  one  and  a  half  inches 


Strip  oi  old  ftlt 


up  from  the  point,  and  one  about 
one-third  the  way  up.  If  these 
are  put  through  tightly  they  will 
keep  the  knife  edge  away  from 
that  seam,  uninjured  and  unin- 
juring.  I  also  sew  a  strip  of  old 


felt  hat  around  the  inside  of  the 
top  of  my  sheath  to  keep  Tatro  at 
home,  regardless  of  my  position. 
For  safety's  sake  and  the  preser- 
vation of  a  good  knife,  hunters 
should  try  these  out. 


AN   EMERGENCY   ANCHOR 

BY  C.  H.  BALDWIN 
Here  is  a  kink  that  may  save 
the  day  for  some  lone  fisherman. 
Last  year  I  rented  a  cottage  and 
boat  at  a  small  inland  lake  in 
northern  Illinois,  and  when  ready 
to  use  the  boat  I  found  it  had  no 
anchor,  and  not  a  stone  in  sight  or 
any  weight  of  sufficient  size.  I 
discovered  an  old  pair  of  overalls 
hanging  on  the  garage.  I  cut  off 
about  two  feet  of  one  leg,  tied 
one  end  securely  and  filled  it  with 
gravel.  Tied  the  other  end,  tied 
anchor  rope  around  the  center, 
and  had  an  anchor  that  held  for 
keeps. 


GATHERING     INFORMA- 
TION 

BY  A.  L.  WEAVER,  JR. 

While  talking  to  some  friends 
(who  are  rather  enthusiastic  fish- 
ermen) one  day,  I  asked,  rather 
casually,  if  they  knew  of  any 
good  places  to  fish.  In  the  course 
of  a  few  minutes  I  had  quite  a 
number  of  them — too  many  of 
of  them  to  remember,  in  fact — 
so  I  decided  I  must  have  some 
way  to  keep  them  on  record.  A 
file  was  too  unhandy,  so  after 
much  labor  and  thinking  I  finally 


90 


KINKS    OF    ALL    KINDS 


"got'  down  to  brass  tacks"  in  the 
following  idea : 

First — Two  pads  of  paper  about 
6  by  8  in.,  one  pink,  the  other 
white.  The  pink  sheets  I  use  for 
my  fishing  "dope"  and  the  white 
ones  for  my  hunting  "dope."  I 
use  the  following  form,  which 


barrel    a    fine    polish.      It    seems 
cheap,  effective  and  harmless. 


U*  .1  *«.     —M.e.rl  4     -«. 

Hrarkst-       f-J.    .»     /1.»o-^    &••)    Crass  ^n»m 


gives     me     all     the     information 
"right  off  the  reel" : 

This  form  with  a  small  sketch 
map  (if  available)  gives  me  all 
the  information  that  I  desire. 
These  sheets  are  kept  in  a  port- 
folio. This  "kink"  has  met  with 
great  favor  here  among  my  num- 
erous sportsmen  friends. 


A   SHOTGUN   CLEANER 

BY  D.  WIGGINS 

To  effectually  and  harmlessly 
clean  your  shotgun,  use  the  brass 
cloth  used  for  straining  milk. 
Purchase  about  a  dime's  worth 
and  cut  a  patch  of  it  just  big 
enough  to  cover  the  head  of  a 
cleaning  rod  with  a  piece  of  cot- 
ton flannel  under  it.  Use  a  little 
oil  on  the  brass  cloth,  and  you 
will  be  surprised  to  see  how 
quickly  it  takes  out  lead,  powder 
fouling,  rust,  etc.,  and  gives  the 


A   GOOD    CARRYING   CASE 

BY  M.  J.  HEWITT 
An  old  leather  camera  case 
makes  a  convenient  carrying  case 
for  fishing  tackle  or  many  other 
things  when  on  a  trip.  These 
leather  cases  pack  well,  carry 
nicely  and  protect  their  contents 
fully.  Being  made  of  good 
leather  they  are  quite  stout. 


THREE  KINKS  FROM  ONE 
KINKER 

BY  BERT  RICHARDSON 
Did  you  ever  shoot  out  a  wood- 
en minnow  and  on  retrieving 
find  the  hooks  sticking  out  at  all 
angles?  Of  course  you  did,  like 
myself  until  I  "got  onto"  this 
kink.  I  am  not  very  strong  on 
the  explanation  stuff,  so  you  will 
have  to  watch  the  sketch  if  this 
gets  by  Ye  Editor's  waste  basket. 
All  you  need  is  a  piece  of  heavy 
tin  of  thin  brass  cut  out  to  shape 
of  "A,"  Fig.  1.  Bend  the  ends 


•%'3rass  Plate 


around  screw  eye  and  secure  with 
a  drop  of  solder. 

I  have  found  that  this  kink 
makes  a  wooden  minnow  as  near 
weedless  as  it  is  possible  to  get 
them,  as  the  hooks  are  always 
in  the  shadow  of  the  body  and 
presented  right  for  the  strike. 


KINKS     OF    ALL     KINDS 


91 


Also  take  notice  of  the  bend  in 
front  screw  eye  ("B,"  Fig.  1). 
This  gives  the  bait  a  wobble  that 
is  a  wobble  as  you  are  always 
pulling  off  center. 

In  casting  spoons,  I  find  that 
I  need  a  little  extra  weight,  and 
so  adopt  the  following  method : 


kind.     Bend  it  in  the  center,  slip 
on  spoon,  and  insert  shank   (Fig. 

in). 

The  next  kink,  which  it  requires 
a  little  more  mechanical  skill,  is 
what  I  call  THE  kink. 

Would  you  like  to  have  in  your 
old  trusty  reel  the  casting  qualities 


I  purchase  a  few  small  dipsys,  the 
kind  with  a  wire  loop  in  the  ends. 
Straighten  out  the  loops  and  twist 
the  wire  around  the  shank  above 
the  spoon.  This  weight  balances 
the  bait  and  presents  your  fly 
right  side  up  the  instant  it  strikes 
the  water.  It  also  does  away  with 
swivels  as  the  bait  will  not  twist 
more  than  a  half  turn  and  then 
drops  back.  Try  this  out  in  the 
bath  tub,  as  yours  truly  did,  and 
be  convinced. 

By  the  way,  did  you  ever  try 
to  patch  up  your  old  spoons  and 
find  trouble  in  getting  a  lug  for 
the  spoon  and  shank?  Well,  here 
is  the  dope:  Take  a  link  out 
of  a  chain,  the  bath  tub  stopper 


found  in  a  high-priced  jewelled 
reel,  minus  the  outlay  necessary  to 
secure  the  latter? 

Take  off  the  oil  screw  cap  op- 
posite the  handle  and  solder  a 
one-eighth-inch  piece  of  brass  to 
the  top  of  cap  and  file  off  the 
edge  to  a  nice  smooth  finish ;  this 
will  give  you  plenty  of  metal  for 


ft $.2 


92 


KINKS     OF     ALL     KINDS 


the  next  operation.  Next,  drill  a 
hole  in  center  of  screw  cap,  right 
thru  the  metal  you  have  just  put 
on,  the  drill  to  be  tapping  size 
for  a  six-thirty-second-inch  screw. 
Top  out  the  hole  with  a  six-thirty- 


Chain 

Link 


now  I  can  "shoot  it  a  mile"  with- 
out the   old  strong-arm  work. 


second-inch  tap  and  that  finishes 
the  screw  cap.  Take  an  ordi- 
nary machine  screw  and  grind  or 
file  the  end  to  about  sixty  de- 
grees. Cut  off  about  three-six- 
teenths inch  of  screw  and  cut  a 
slot  for  screwdriver.  Put  the  cap 
in  place  and  adjust  screw  until 
it  is  resting  on  the  end  of  spool 
shaft.  The  sketch  will  show  you 
about  all  there  is  to  it.  I  used 
this  kink  on  my  old  $4.50  reel  for 
two  years,  and  it  is  still  better 
than  ever.  The  high  speed  of  the 
spindle  appears  to  crystalize  the 
two  points  of  contact,  and  in 
checking  up  my  reel  I  found  that 
the  wear  was  only  .010  of  an  inch, 
and  this  in  two  seasons  of  casting. 
I  had  a  little  trouble  at  first  with 
back  lashes,  as  the  reel,  when  in  a 
vertical  position,  runs  very  fast, 
but  I  soon  "got  onto"  that  and 


THE  CREEL  COVER  FLY 
BOOK 

BY  ABRAM  HAM  MATT 
The  accompanying  sketch  de- 
picts a  device  for  carrying  flies 
on  the  stream  that  I  believe  will 
prove  very  handy.  The  ma- 
terials are  a  piece  of  leather  six 
by  5  inches,  a  metal  rod  five 
inches  long  and  one-eighth  inch 
in  diameter  and  a  small  spring 
the  same  length. 

The  rod  is  heated  and  the  ends 
flattened.  The  ends  are  then 
drilled  with  a  small  hole.  The 
spring  is  stretched  until  the  gut 
of  a  fly  can  pass  between  the 
coils  tightly  enough  to  hold  it, 


the    spring    is    then    cut    off    the 
same  length  as  the  rod. 

The  two  corners  on  the  longer 
side  of  the  leather  are  rounded; 
this  is  to  be  the  upper  side.  The 
rod  is  then  sewed  along  this  side 
a/bout  one-half  inch  from  the 
edge  by  means  of  the  small  holes 
drilled  in  the  end. 
The  spring  is  sewed  one-half 


KINKS     OF    ALL     KINDS 


93 


inch  from  the  opposite  edge.  The 
whole  thing  is  then  sewed  to  the 
under  side  of  the  creel  lid  with 
the  rod  at  the  loose  edge  of  the 
creel  lid.  The  fly  is  then  hooked 
over  the  small  rod  and  the  gut  is 
held  by  the  coils  of  the  spring. 


FOLDING     LINE     DRYER 

BY  GERALD  E.  MULL 
As  a  line  dryer  is  necessary 
and  those  on  the  market  which 
looked  good  to  me  were  expens- 
ive, I  set  about  to  make  one  my- 
self. The  idea  of  the  dryer  as 
well  as  the  construction  is  very 
simple,  so  that  anyone  should  be 
able  to  make  one. 

The  first  thing  to  make  is  the 
axle  on  which  the  spool  turns  and 
which  also  holds  the  dryer  to 
table,  bench  or  wherever  you  wish 
to  place  it.  This  is  made  of  stiff, 
springy  wire,  bent  in  the  shape  of 
Fig.  I,  and  should  be  long  enough 
so  that  the  top  of  the  wire  will 
extend  through  the  top  of  the 
spool.  The  part  lettered  A  in 


Fig.  I  is  to  slide  onto  the  edge  of 
table.  The  twist  in  the  wire 
holds  it  upright  and  is  bent  so 
that  the  bend  will  lie  flat  on  the 
top  of  the  table. 

The  next  step  is  the  ends  of  the 
spool.  These  were  made  of  Y%- 
inch  pine,  4  inches  square.  The 
blocks  are  cut  to  size  and  then 
each  corner  is  cut  off  about  ^  or 
V2  inch  back,  giving  the  block 
eight  sides  as  shown  in  Fig.  II. 
Next  drill  a  hole  through  the 
center  of  the  blocks  at  C,  Fig.  II, 
to  allow  the  wire  axle  to  pass 
through.  A  hole  is  then  drilled 
in  the  edge  of  the  block,  where 
each  corner  was  cut  away,  E,  Fig. 
II.  These  holes  should  be  the 
size  of  the  wire  to  be  used  for 
sides  of  the  spool. 

The  side  wires  of  the  spool  are 
made  of  copper  or  other  wire 
which  will  not  rust.  Four  of  these 
wires  are  necessary.  They  should 
Le  bent  to  the  shape  shown  in 
Fig.  III.  In  making  these  the 
parts  marked  A- A,  Fig.  Ill, 
should  be  about  1*4  inches  long, 


Fig.  TIL 


A- A-  S^de  W»vts 
8-  Avjle 

C  *  wa*Ker 


"••C 


94 


KINKS    OF    ALL    KINDS 


to  make  a  good  solid  fit.  These 
ends  fit  into  the  holes  in  the  cor- 
ners of  the  end  blocks.  It  is  a 
good  plan  to  make  one  wire  com- 
plete and  then  cut  the  other  wires 
the  same  length  and  bend,  using 
the  first  one  as  a  pattern. 

My   finished   spool   measured   a 
little    over   8   inches    long   and   4 


ready  to  go  anywhere.    Very  sim- 
ple   and    costs    nothing   but   your 


A   BAMBOO   ROD   CASE 

BY  A.  E.  BUCK 

A  great  number  of  bait-casters 
are  partial  to  a  single  piece  rod 


inches  square,  and  will  take  15 
inches  of  line  at  a  turn.  In  as- 
sembling the  dryer  the  axle  is 
first  clamped  to  the  table.  Then 
the  side  wires  of  the  spool  are 
Inserted  into  the  holes  in  the  cor- 
ners of  the  blocks  and  the  spool 
slipped  onto  the  axle.  A  small 
wooden  knob  may  be  fastened  to 
the  top  of  the  spool  to  turn  it  by. 

If  there  seems  to  be  too  much 
friction  between  the  bottom  end 
of  the  spool  and  the  bend  in  the 
wire  axle,  a  couple  of  notches 
may  be  filed  in  the  wire  and  a 
copper  washer,  which  will  just 
slide  over  the  wire,  slid  down  into 
them  and  slightly  flattened  edge- 
wise to  make  it  stay  in  place. 

Fig.  IV  will  give  some  idea  how 
the  completed  dryer  looks.  To 
fold  the  dryer  up,  simply  remove 
the  spool  from  axle  and  pull  out 
the  side  wires;  lay  the  ends  flat, 
side  by  side,  and  lay  the  wires 
and  axle  on.  Snap  a  couple  of 
rubber  bands  around  it  and  it's 


for  many  reasons,  but  use  the 
jointed  rod  on  account  of  the 
difficulty  experienced  with  the 
single  piece  in  going  from  one 
fishing  ground  to  another.  I  use 
a  single  piece  bamboo  and  have 
been  put  to  a  great  deal  of  in- 
convenience in  carrying  this  rod 
about.  So  I  have  been  trying  to 
devise  a  convenient  way  to  carry 
same  and  still  go  light,  and  think 
I  have  at  last  solved  the  difficulty 
in  a  very  satisfactory  manner. 

Take  the  butt  of  a  common 
cane  fishing  pole,  split  it  entirely 
across  twice,  running  splits  down 
to  a  convenient  joint.  Then  slip 
in  two  thin  ferrules  that  are  just 
large  enough  to  slip  over  the  butt 
of  your  rod.  Force  one  in  as  far 
as  possible  and  leave  the  other  at 
the  end  and  bind  with  fishing 
line. 

A  hole  can  be  easily  bored 
through  the  nodes  or  joints  of 
the  cane  with  a  long  bit  like  elec- 
tricians use,  or  burned  out  with 
a  hot  iron. 

A  cork  in  bottom  ferrule  fin- 
ishes the  job  and  you  have  a  tight, 


KINKS     OF    ALL     KINDS 


95 


convenient  case  that  will  hold  rod 
perfectly  central  so  nothing  will 
touch  but  the  grip.  You  can  go 
horseback,  buggy,  auto  or  train 
with  never  a  thought  of  your  rod 
till  you  want  to  use  it,  and  if  the 
case  is  in  your  way  in  the  boat, 
throw  it  overboard  and  tow  be- 
hind on  a  string. 


THREE    HANDY    ONES 

BY  DONALD  SMITH 
When  casting  for  bass  with  a 
frog,  haven't  you  ever  come  to  a 
place  that  was  made  to  order  for 
a  plug?  The  weedless  frog  har- 
ness is  tied  on  so  tight  that  it 
takes  a  knife  and  a  few  polite 
words  to  get  it  off.  By  the  time 
the  line  is  free  your  boat  has 


the  loop  over  the  rear  hook.  The 
loop  slips  up  tight  and  will  hold 
until  the  line  is  all  worn  out.  This 
loop  is  handy  when  you  dry  the 
line.  The  bowline  is  the  best  knot 
because  it  will  not  slip  and  is  easy 
to  untie  if  it  is  necessary.  It 
comes  off  as  easily  as  it  goes  on, 
by  reversing  the  process. 

When  you  see  a  nice  hole  in 
the  weeds  you  immediately  cast 
your  frog  so  that  he  strikes  the 
farther  edge  of  the  hole.  Now, 
if  the  hole  is  small  the  frog  stirs 
up  a  lot  of  commotion  if  he  comes 
sailing  fifty  feet  through  the  air. 
Do  you  see  the  tall,  rank  grass 
just  at  the  edge  of  that  hole? 
You  will  notice  that  it  bends 
right  over  the  edge.  Just  put 
your  frog  on  the  grass.  When 


Fig.  1 


Fig.  2 


drifted  right  where  you  wanted 
to  cast.  This  occasions  more  po- 
lite language.  Now  for  the  kink. 
Tie  a  bowline  knot  in  your  line. 
Leave  the  loop  about  three  inches 
long.  Just  put  the  loop  thorugh 
the  eye  of  the  harness  and  slip 


you  get  ready  give  the  frog  a  lit- 
tle twitch.  He  will  jump  into  the 
water  in  a  much  more  lifelike 
manner  than  the  other  way.  If 
Mr.  Bass  is  at  home  he  will  make 
one  mighty  grab  and  the  fight 
will  be  on. 


96 


KINKS     OF     ALL     KINDS 


When  you  are  whiling  away 
the  time  with  blue-gills,  waiting 
for  it  to  get  later  in  the  after- 
noon, you  will  sometimes  wish 
they  would  bite  a  little  oftener. 
Just  take  that  heavy  underwater 
plug  and  cast  out  about  thirty 
feet.  Reel  it  in  very  slowly,  so 
^hat  it  will  go  deep.  Do  this  on 
all  sides  of  the  boat.  When  the 
blue-gills  see  the  minnow  they 
just  follow  right  along  to  see  the 
excitement.  They  notice  a  fat, 
juicy  worm  and  think  they  have 
gone  far  enough.  If  you  are  the 
owner  of  the  worm  you  will  have 
fish  for  supper. 


A  HELGRAMITE  HARNESS 
DE  LUXE 

BY  E.  H.  COULTAS 
Nimrod,  can  you  hook  a  big 
husky  Helgramite,  cast  him  to  all 
points  of  the  compass  endeavor- 
ing to  secure  a  strike,  and  at  last 
take  him  off  your  hook,  and  still 
have  the  consolation  of  finding 
him  as  mean  and  devlish,  as  anx- 
ious to  nip  your  fingers  as  when 
two  hours  before  you  jammed 
your  hook  under  his  shell-like 
collar?  I  doubt  it  very  much,  be- 
cause this  particular  Helgramite 
will  be  as  dead  as  a  doornail  and 
will  have  no  more  crawl  in  him 
than  an  Egyptian  mummy. 

You  simply  cannot  appreciate 
the  good  qualities  of  this  brute  as 
one  of  the  very  best  live  bass 
baits  until  you  have  given  him  a 
real  chance  to  twist,  squirm, 
crawl  and  bite  when  affixed  to 


your  hook.  Why,  Fisherman,  he 
has  the  vitality  of  a  marathon 
runner  if  you  simply  eliminate 
that  "solar  plexus"  you  hand  him 
with  your  hook.  Think  of  it,  a 
natural  live  bass  bait,  as  easily 
used  in  shallow  as  deep  water ! 
A  live  bait  equipped  with  a  tre- 
mendous amount  of  kick  and 
fight,  that  will  actually  goad  a 
bass  on  to  strike  when  his  acro- 
batic stunts  under  water  have 
failed  to  tempt  the  wary  fish. 

On  that  very  next  "whirl"  you 
take  at  the  mighty  bass,  how 
would  you  like  to  have  your  live 
Helgramite  so  attached  to  your 
hook  so  that  he — 

1st — Will  be  as  active  as  if  in 
his  native  element. 

2nd — Will  live  for  hours  with- 
out torture,  unless  you  get  a 
strike,  and  finish  as  strong  phys- 
ically as  when  you  made  your 
very  first  cast. 

3rd — Will  present  the  hook  in 
the  most  effective  position  for  the 
strike  that  is  known. 

4th — Will  never  tear  hook  loose 
from  collar  in  casting,  losing  and 
killing  bait,  perhaps  at  the  worst 
possible  moment. 

Listen,  give  a  moment  to  the 
following  simple  directions  and  I 
guarantee  that  you  will  cast  the 
liveliest  live  Helgramite  (and  one 
that  will  stay  alive)  that  was  ever 
on  your  particular  hook.  It  is 
the  strong,  vigorous,  active  live 
bait  that  does  not  sap  away  its 
life  while  suspended  upon  your 
hook,  that  "turns  the  trick"  after 
all.  This  is  the  cry  of  the  live 


KINKS     OF    ALL     KINDS 


97 


bait  bass  angler,  and  here  is  your 
salvation  when  you  use  Helgra- 
mites. 

Purchase  ten  cents'  worth  of 
elastics  ,of  a  size  in  circumfer- 
ence that  will  slip  easily  over  the 
butt  end  of  your  lead  pencil.  Slip 
one  of  these  bands  over  the  tip 
of  your  first  finger  of  your  left 
hand  (if  you  are  a  "south  paw" 
reverse  the  operation). 

Grasp  the  Helgramite  securely 
between  first  finger  and  thumb  of 
right  hand  by  the  collar,  bearing 
in  mind  to  always  hold  him  by 
the  side  of  the  collar,  not  with 
finger  on  under  side  of  collar  and 
thumb  on  top.  At  once  press  his 
entire  lengtji,  right  side  up,  against 
the  inside  of  the  first  finger  of 
the  left  hand,  being  sure  to  have 
the  end  of  his  nippers  on  a  line 
with  the  elastic  band.  Press  the 
thumb  of  left  hand  down  on  top 
of  collar  of  Helgramite,  and  re- 
move your  right  hand  entirely. 
You  now  have  the  bait  held  firmly 
and  securely  in  your  left  hand, 
and  though  he  may  try  to  cause 
trouble  it  is  impossible  for  him 
to  nip  you. 

Next  lift  the  elastic  band  on 
your  left  finger  with  the  right 
hand  and  draw  the  band  over  the 
Helgramite's  nippers  and  head 
and  well  down  to  the  shell-like 
collar.  Once  more  take  the  Hel- 
gramite in  the  right  hand,  as  out- 
lined above,  and  then  draw  your 
first  finger  of  the  left  hand  out 
of  the  rubber  band.  You  will  find 
the  band  has  settled  firmly  about 
the  collar  of  the  Helgramite. 


Shift  your  bait  now  to  your  left 
hand  and  with  right  hand  insert 
barb  of  hook  between  collar  of 
Helgramite  and  rubber  band. 
Push  hook  through  as  shown  in 
the  illustration,  and  then  give 
band  two  or  three  twists  by  twist- 
ing hook.  In  tightening  band 
about  the  collar  of  the  Helgra- 
mite you  will  have  to  use  your 


own  judgment,  as  they  differ  in 
sizes.  It  should  be  twisted  suffi- 
ciently to  hold  firmly,  but  not  so 
tight  as  to  buckle  the  collar  and 
ruin  bait.  The  last  operation  is 
to  bring  the  point  of  your  hook 
under  and  over  the  rubber  band. 
This  fastens  the  twist  you  have 
just  made.  Then  you  push  point 
of  hook  down  as  far  as  you  de- 
sire, slip  the  hook  under  his  tail 


98 


KINKS     OF    ALL     KINDS 


and  the  Helgramite,  though  mighty 
mad,  is  secure  and  ready  to  per- 
form his  duty. 

I  have  found  that  placing  hook 
as  outlined  above  (also  see  illus- 
tration) gives  best  results,  but  you 
can  readily  see  there  are  any 
number  of  positions  you  can  give 
to  your  hook,  as  your  own  judg- 
ment may  deem  fit.  The  direc- 
tions may  sound  somewhat  long, 
but  you  will  find  after  a  few  trials 
that  it  will  take  you  but  a  frac- 
tion of  a  minute. 

On  a  sandy  bottom  let  your 
Helgramite  crawl  about  as  he 
wishes.  On  a  rocky  bottom  use 
a  small  float,  and  personally  I 
feel  that  in  having  a  squirming 
and  angry  Helgramite  floating 
down  stream  at  a  depth  just  above 
bottom  cannot  be  beaten  as  a  lure. 

In  the  majority  of  cases  (I  do 
not  consider  the  class  of  people 
who  like  to  hook  a  bass  in  the 
stomach)  the  rubber  hand  slips 


turn  the  Helgramite  loose  in  your 
bait  box  with  rubber  band  about 
his  collar.  It  will  not  bother  him 
one  bit. 

Real,  live,  husky,  active  bait  al- 
ways spells  better  luck.  If  you 
use  the  outlined  method  you  simply 
cannot  blame  the  bait.  So  here's 
luck! 


A    KINK    POLE   HOLDER 

BY  CHAS.  FORSYTH 
Many  is  the  time  you  have  all 
been  on  the  creek  trying  to  in- 
duce the  juicy  bullhead  to  taste 
the  bait  in  which  you  so  skillfully 
hid  the  hook,  and  oh  my,  how 
tired  you  would  get  holding  your 
pole  when  they  were  a  little  slow 
about  taking  hold! 

You  no  doubt  have  set  a  couple 
of  forked  sticks  in  the  bank  (we 
all  know  how  it  is  done),  or  tried 
to  push  the  end  of  your  pole  in 
the  hard  bank  and  came  very  near 


up  the  gut  when  you  strike  and 
holds  Helgramite  safe  and  fast, 
and  he  is  not  injured  a  bit  in  the 
contest. 

When  you   stop  fishing,   simply 
remove    hook    from    elastic    and 


slipping  in  the  creek  yourself. 
Then  when  this  was  done  you 
would  sit  back  and  wait  for  the 
nibble  that  was  sure  to  come;  and 
when  it  did  come  and  you  got  a 
tremendous  bite,  your  float  going 


KINKS     OF    ALL     KINDS 


99 


clear  down  under  the  water  as 
though  a  submarine  was  hitched 
on  to  the  lower  end  of  your  line, 
the  dirt  would  suddenly  give  way 
and  "kersplash"  your  pole  would 
go  in  the  water.  And  when  you 
finally  pulled  it  out,  expecting  at 
least  a  five-pounder,  you  would 
be  minus  fish  and  bait  both. 

Possibly  you  had  your  pole  set 
in  the  forked  stakes.  You  got  a 
"real"  bite.  You  grabbed  the  pole 
with  both  hands  and,  Ye  Gods,  it 
was  stuck.  By  the  time  you  suc- 
ceeded in  getting  it  pried  out  from 
the  forks,  Mr.  B.  Head  was  amb- 
ling off  down  the  creek  enjoying 
the  lunch.  Of  course  you  didn't 
say  anything.  Just  a  few  re- 
marks on  the  weather. 

Now,  if  you  will  make  yourself 
one  of  these  "Kink  Pole  Holders" 
and  give  it  a  trial,  your  troubles 
in  that  line  will  be  over.  It  can 
be  made  for  any  kind  or  size 
pole. 

Material  needed:  1  piece  of 
heavy  wire  about  the  size  of  an 
ordinary  .22  cal.  wiping  rod;  7 
inches  off  the  end  of  an  old  broom 
handle. 

Cost:  About  the  time  it  takes 
you  to  make  it. 

Take  your  piece  of  wire,  about 
18  inches  long,  so  that  you  can 
handle  it  easily,  and  bend  around 
a  stick — a  broom  handle,  for  in- 
stance— in  the  shape  of  Fig.  1. 
Have  the  loop  on  end  marked  A, 
just  large  enough  to  slip  over  the 
bulge  of  the  hand  grip,  if  you  are 
using  a  bamboo  pole,  and  loop  at 
B  just  large  enough  so  that  end 


of  pole  will  slip  in  nicely.  Let 
the  loops  A  and  B  be  turned  in 
a  complete  circle  in  order  to  make 
it  rigid  and  give  it  strength.  Let 
the  loop  A  lap  a  little  before 
turning  down  to  enter  stake. 
Make  just  a  little  tight,  then  there 
will  be  no  danger  of  it  slipping 
off  of  pole.  C  should  be  about 
1^4  inches  long. 

Saw  off  about  7  inches  from 
the  end  of  an  old  broom  handle; 
bore  a  hole  in  one  end  a  little 
larger  than  the  wire  so  that  the 
wire  will  slip  in  and  out  easily, 
then  sharpen  the  other  end  so 
that  it  can  be  pushed  into  the 
ground. 

You  can  slip  the  stick  inside 
the  wire  and  carry  it  in  your 
pocket.  When  you  get  ready  to 
set  up,  put  the  wire  on  your  pole, 
push  the  stake  in  the  ground  at 
any  desired  angle  and  set  the 
turned  down  portion  of  the  wire 
in  the  hole  as  in  Fig.  3.  The  wire 
remains  on  the  pole  and  when  you 
get  that  real  bite,  take  hold  of  the 
pole  gently  and  lift  out  of  stake, 
then  pull  out  your  fish  and  string 
on  the  "Kink  ,'Fish  Stringer." 
Easy,  ain't  it?  And  simple,  oh 
gee! 


MEASURING  BY  THE  ROD 
BY  E.  B.  LYMAN 

This  drawing  will  explain  a 
couple  of  kinks,  both  of  which 
will  be  found  useful  to  bait-cast- 
ers. 

The  place  marked  A  represents 
a  common  rubber  crutch  tip  which 


100 


KINKS     OF    ALL     KINDS 


may  be  easily  fitted  to  the  butt  of 
the  rod.  It  will  act  as  a  buffer  or 
pad  while  reeling  in  the  bait  with 
the  butt  against  the  body,  and  will 
also  protect  the  rod  to  an  extent. 
The  angler  who  rewinds  and 
varnishes  his  rods  during  the 
closed  season,  might  try  this  kink. 


in  the  Blue  Ridge  Mountains  this 
summer.  It  was  late  summer 
when  all  the  minnow  branches 
were  low  and  the  water  clear,  a 
condition  that  required  one  to  be 
an  expert  with  the  dip  net  or 
seine  if  any  minnows  were  to  be 
landed,  while  we  could  always  se- 


(I 


After  the  old  varnish  has  been 
scraped  from  the  rod,  put  on  the 
windings,  space  them  an  inch 
apart  for  a  foot  or  so  above  the 
reel  seat.  Now  number  them  1, 
2,  3,  etc.,  with  India  ink,  and 
varnish. 

You  now  have  a  convenient 
place  to  measure  your  catch. 


A  MINNOW  TRAP 

BY  RICHARD  K.  WOOD 
Did  you  ever  have  a  fishing 
trip  result  in  a  failure  because 
you  could  not  get  minnows?  No 
doubt  many  bait  fishermen  could 
answer  this  question  in  the  affirm- 
ative. 

The  methods  most  often  em- 
ployed in  catching  minnows  are 
seining,  trapping,  and  fishing  from 
the  bank  with  a  light  pole,  thread 
and  minnow  hook.  Sometimes  for 
one  reason  or  another  all  three 
of  these  methods  may  fail.  For 
instance,  the  water  may  be  so 
clear  that  the  minnows  will  es- 
cape under  rocks  before  the  seine 
reaches  them,  or  chubs  may  not 
be  biting  This  luck  happened  to 
the  writer  on  a  fishing  trip  while 


cure  some  minnows,  we  could 
never  get  a  sufficient  number  to 
fill  our  needs  and  here  is  where 
my  kink  came  in  handy — and  it 
may  come  in  handy  for  you  some 
time,  too. 

We  had  worn  out  and  patched 
up  our  seine  until  there  was  a 
real  cause  for  a  "discovery."  We 
took  an  ordinary  burlap  sack  with 
a  barrel  hoop  in  the  mouth  and 
placed  it  in  the  brook,  obstruct- 
ing the  way  on  each  side  of  it. 
Then  going  up  stream  we  would 
drive  the  minnows  down  by  wad- 
ing and  thrashing  the  water  with 
a  brush.  We  found  that  one  man 
could  get  more  minnows  with  the 
sack  than  two  could  get  with  a 
seine  in  the  same  length  of  time. 
They  would  dart  under  and 
around  a  seine  but  would  enter 
the  sack  trap  readily. 


REMOVING    A    FERRULE 

BY  E.  H.  PECKINPAUGH 
Whenever  I  had  occasion  to  re- 
pair   a    rod,    removing   a    ferrule 
used  to  cause  me  lots  of  trouble. 
One    day    several   years    ago    I 
broke  the  tip  of  my   rod  at  the 


KINKS    OF   ALL   KINDS 


101 


ferrule,  and  as  I  had  only  brought 
along  the  one  tip  it  looked  as 
though  I  would  have  to  cut  my 
trip  short,  since  I  carried  nothing 
to  make  repairs  with,  and  did  not 
/ike  to  risk  breaking  the  tip  a 
second  time  by  cutting  it  down 
and  using  it  as  it  was. 

I  had  carried  with  me  a  few 
flies  and  hooks,  a  wooden  min- 
now and  a  small  piece  of  copper 
wire  that  I  used  to  string  my  fish 
on  (if  by  any  chance  I  killed 
one).  The  case  looked  hopeless 
until  it  struck  me  that  I  might 
take  one  of  the  screw  eyes  from 
the  wooden  minnow  and  by 
screwing  it  into  the  broken  piece 
1  might  get  it  out. 

After  drawing  out  the  pin  with 
my  knife,  I  finally  succeeded,  with 
the  aid  of  a  straightened  fishhook, 
in  screwing  the  eye  in.  I  then 
twisted  the  copper  wire  around 
the  ferrule  to  use  as  a  handle 
while  I  heated  it. 

As  soon  as  it  was  warm  I 
slipped  the  largest  fishhook  I  had 


It  struck  me  that  I  had  found 
a  way  to  remove  a  ferrule  with 
the  smallest  amount  of  heat,  and 
no  chance  of  marring  it. 

Since  then  the  simplest  thing 
about  repairing  a  rod  is  remov- 
ing a  ferrule.  If  the  rod  is  broken 
I  drill  a  small  hole  in  the  wood 
and  remove  the  pin.  After  screw- 
ing in  the  eye  I  make  my  loop  of 
wire  and  fasten  it  somewhere  and 
pull  tight. 

When  the  heat  is  applied  just 
as  soon  as  the  cement  is  melted 
the  wood  slips  out  and  you  never 
get  it  hot  enough  to  do  any  dam- 
age. If  the  rod  is  not  broken  you 
don't  need  the  screw  eye. 


THE  CHICKEN  NECK  BAIT 

BY  C.  E.  WAKEMAN 
I  will  contribute  a  little  kink 
that  has  helped  me  to  get  many  a 
nice  trout,  and  if  tried  by  others 
of  the  angling  fraternity  I  know 
that  they  will  be  well  paid  for 
their  trouble. 


through  the  screw  eye,  with  the 
Intention  of  drawing  it  from  the 
loop  of  wire  so  that  I  might  catch 
hold  of  the  ferrule  with  my  hand- 
kerchief and  pull  the  wood  out. 

What  was  my  surprise  to  find 
the  wire  held  like  a  vise,  and  a 
gentle  pull  was  all  that  was  neces- 
sary. I  made  the  repair  then 
without  any  trouble,  and  went  on 
with  my  fishing. 


The  kink  consists  of  a  hook,  to 
your  own  liking,  treated  with  a 
piece  of  skin  taken  from  the  neck 
of  a  chicken  after  it  has  been 
cleaned  for  cooking,  but  before  it 
has  been  singed.  You  will  notice 
that  this  skin  is  covered  with  fine 
silvery  hair.  I  cut  this  in  fine 
strips  not  wider  than  one-six- 
teenth of  an  inch,  and  three  or 
four  inches  long.  I  wind  this 


102 


KINKS     OF    ALL    KINDS 


spiral  fashion  from  just  below  the 
barb  on  the  hook  to  the  eye,  or  to 
where  the  snell  fastens  on,  tying 
each  end  with  a  piece  of  white 
silk  thread.  I  then  lay  it  away 
to  dry,  when  it  is  ready  for  use. 
The  silvery  hairs  will  stick  out 
all  around  the  hook,  and  when 
cast  on  the  water  it  makes  as 
tempting  a  bait  as  any  decent 
trout  might  wish  to  get  his  eyes 
upon. 

This  kink  may  not  be  new  to 
some,  but  I  have  passed  it  along 
and  am  helping  to  boost  the  kink 
department. 


DRIED    HOUSEFLIES    FOR 
BAIT 

BY  ROBERT  MARSHALL 
Catch  a  quantity  of  flies  in  an 
ordinary  wire  fly  trap.  Soak  the 
flies  in  sweet  oil  and  pack  them 
hard  in  a  small  butter  mold.  Let 
the  resulting  balls  dry  hard  in 
the  sun  and  you  will  have  a  fine 
bait  for  still  fishing.  By  leaving 
out  the  oil  you  will  also  have  a 
good  bird  food. 


A   FROG   SAVER 

BY  DR.  E.  A.  CHATTEN 

Every  bait  caster  who  uses 
frogs  has  had  the  experience  of 
snapping  the  bait  off  his  hook. 
Sometimes,  when  frogs  are  hard 
to  get,  this  is  doubly  annoying.  A 
good  many  anglers  are  probably 
acquainted  with  the  following 
Kink,  but  not  everyone  seems  to 
know  it,  so  I  give  it  for  what  it 
is  worth. 


Hook  the  frog  through  the  lips 
as  usual.  Take  a  bit  of  old  line 
and  loop  it  over  the  hook  below 
the  frog's  lips.  Bring  the  two 
ends  of  line  back  and  tie  in  a 


square  knot  just  between  the 
frog's  front  legs.  Carry  ends  of 
line  over  the  frog's  back  and  tie 
securely.  The  loop  of  line  will 
take  the  strain  off  the  lips  of  the 
bait  and  make  it  good  for  many 
hours  of  casting. 


THE  CLOTHES  HOOK  ROD 
HANGER 

BY  J.  E.  D. 

Take  an  ordinary  twisted  wire 
clothes  hook  and  slightly  solder 
the  place  where  the  wires  are 
twisted  together.  Then  cut  off 
the  end  of  the  loop  as  shown  in 
the  diagram,  and  slip  a  short  piece 
of  rubber  tubing  over  each  of  the 
points. 

In  our  fishing  camp  we  always 
put  these  hangers  up  in  pairs. 


The  first  pair  should  be  put  up  as 
high  as  one  can  conveniently 
reach,  one  at  either  end  of  the 
wall.  The  next  pair  goes  about 
four  inches  lower  and  the  same 


KINKS    OF   ALL    KINDS 


103 


distance  inside  of  the  ones  above. 
And  so  on  down  the  wall.  The 
first  man  in  at  night  winds  his 
line  from  hook  to  hook  on  the 
upper  set  of  hangers  and  hangs 
his  rod  in  the  fork  at  either  end 
as  convenient.  The  next  man  in 
takes  the  next  lower  pair.  These 
hangers  are  also  very  convenient 
for  handling  the  joints  of  rods 
that  are  being  repaired  or  var- 
nished. 


A    BACKLASH    TOOL 

BY  R.  C.  FIELDS 

Many  of  you  probably  still  have 

trouble  with  backlashes.    To  those 

who  do,  this  little  tool  will  be  a 

great  time   saver.     Take   a   com- 


mon  shoe  buttoner,  cut  the  hook 
off,  pound  the  end  flat  and  file  two 
notches  in  it,  as  shown  in  draw- 
ing, and  you  will  have  an  excel- 
lent tool  for  untangling  those  aw- 
ful backlashes. 


AN   EMERGENCY   WEED- 
LESS 

BY  STANLEY  MENDLICK 
On  one  of  my  trips  I  found  the 
bass  feeding  close  up  to  shore 
among  the  rushes  and  the  bottom 
covered  with  a  thick  mattress  of 
grass.  None  of  my  regular  weed- 
less  baits  got  a  strike,  so  I  decided 
to  try  something  new. 


I  took  the  hook  gangs  off  from 
a  V.  L.  &  A.  chub  minnow  and 
with  my  pocket  tool  kit  cut  a  nar- 
row slot  in  the  back  of  the  min- 
now, just  wide  enough  to  hold  a 
1-0  hook  rather  tightly.  The  pits 


for  the  screw  eyes  were  counter- 
sunk so  that  the  eye  was  about 
half  covered.  I  placed  two  hooks 
on  the  back  and  used  a  single 
weighted  hook  for  a  trailer.  This 
bait  worked  nicely  through  the 
weeds  and  was  fairly  successful. 


THE    TIGHT    HOLSTER 

BY   "BLISTERS" 

Nearly  every  man  who  has 
toted  a  six-gun  at  his  belt  knows 
that  by  having  a  good  bunch  of 
"pants"  above  the  cartridge  belt 
the  draw  will  be  facilitated.  An 
open  holster  must  hold  the  gun 
snugly  or  some  day — out  flops  the 
gun.  But  if  the  holster  fits  snugly 


and  the  belt  does  not  hold  it 
down,  one  is  under  die  awkward 
necessity  of  grasping  the  holster 
with  the  left  hand  while  drawing 
the  gun  with  the  right.  Not  very 
speedy,  to  say  the  least.  Some  of 


104 


KINKS     OF    ALL     KINDS 


the  old-time  gunfighters  used  to 
tie  their  holsters  down  to  their 
thighs  by  the  muzzle,  but  one 
can't  do  much  walking  that  way. 
A  little  idea  practiced  by  my- 
self and  perhaps  others  as  well, 
is  to  run  a  light  narrow  strap 
through  the  belt  loop  on  the 
holster.  Bring  this  down  low 
across  the  thigh  and  it  holds  down 
the  holster  securely  without  in- 
terfering with  walking.  Try  it 
and  see  how  you  like  it. 


THE  ALDER  BAIT 

BY  HAROLD  W.  GREENE 
When  I  saw  your  article  in  the 
March  OUTER'S  BOOK  about  the 
Fishing  Kink  Contest,  I  called  the 
Littlest  Lady's  attention  to  it,  and 
she  said,  "Why  not  describe  the 
Alder  bait?"  The  Alder  bait  is 
one  of  those  makeshifts  that  you 
stumble  upon  while  knocking 
about  on  the  lakes  and  streams. 

One  day  I  packed  the  cooking 
outfit  and  fishing  tackle  into  the 
canoe,  handed  the  Littlest  Lady 
into  the  bow,  and  stepping  in, 
shoved  off.  It's  only  a  little 
stream,  but  very  pretty,  and  the 
only  nice  one  within  our  reach 
for  the  occasional  Saturday  after- 
noon and  Sunday  that  we  have  to 
ourselves. 

After  paddling  about  three- 
quarters  of  a  mile  upstream, 
trolling  and  casting  for  pickerel 
on  the  way  with  indifferent  suc- 
cess, we  came  to  our  usual  camp 
site.  The  Littlest  Lady  laid  out 
the  kit  while  I  gathered  wood  for 


the  "Injun"  cook  fire,  and  after 
eats  had  been  disposed  and  camp 
tidied,  the  Littlest  Lady  wanted  a 
lesson  in  bait  casting.  So  the 
canoe  was  hauled  way  ashore  to 
give  plenty  of  room,  with  no  ob- 
struction on  the  bank.  This  made 
good  casting  across  the  river. 

The  rod  is  a  Jim  Heddon  and 
I  had  on  a  Dowagaac  minnow 
when  she  cast,  and  did  it  well,  too. 
But  she  failed  to  retrieve  it  fast 
enough,  so  the  plug  got  hooked 
on  the  bottom.  I  cut  it  loose  and 
she  cast  again,  but  let  it  overrun, 
and  it  landed  in  the  brush  on  the 
other  side.  Once  more  I  rescued 
it,  and  in  a  short  time  it  was  hung 
up  again,  so  I  decided  to  over- 
come this  nuisance. 

I  cut  a  young  alder  shoot  about 
a  half-inch  in  diameter  and  three 
or  four  inches  long,  notched  it 
around  about  a  quarter  of  an  inch 
from  the  larger  or  butt  end  and 
with  the  end  of  the  line  bent  two 
half  hitches  into  the  notch.  This 
worked  fine  the  first  time,  for  it 
floated,  while  the  bird's  nest  was 
straightened  out,  but  it  darted  and 
revolved  so  in  retrieving  that  the 
line  was  all  kinked  up  into  snarls. 
I  cut  the  line  about  two  inches 
above  the  half  hitches  and  whipped 
out  the  kinks,  then  fastened  the 
ends  with  a  swivel  between  (illus- 
tration No.  1)  to  overcome  the 
kinking.  Then  I  gave  the  Littlest 
Lady  another  illustration  in  the 
art  of  placing  the  bait  and  thumb- 
ing the  reel,  and  showed  her  how 
to  spool  level  while  retrieving. 
The  stick  dove  and  darted  this 


KINKS    OF    ALL    KINDS 


105 


way  and  that  so  well  that  I  de- 
cided to  cast  again,  and  in  re- 
trieving to  show  her  a  little  tip 
work. 

Well,  I  placed  that  stick  in  a 
nice  little  hole  just  £t  the  roots 
of  a  tree  on  the  opposite  bank, 


spicuous  in  the  water,  so  I  figured 
that  must  be  the  reason  that  he 
struck,  considering  the  indifferent 
success  we  had  on  the  way  up. 
Naturally  we  decided  to  make 
that  stick  into  a  bait. 

The  Littlest  Lady  was  very  in- 


where  some  brush  overhung  the 
stream  and  made  a  shady  little 
nook  (you  know  exactly  that  kind 
of  a  hole),  and  just  as  I  placed 
the  thumb  down  hard  I  gave  a 
steady  upward  tip  motion  while 
bringing  the  rod  back  to  my  left 
hand  (I  always  hold  the  rod  in 
my  left  hand  while  retrieving), 
which  caused  the  stick  to  dive  and 
dart  to  the  left.  Bang!  A  pick- 
erel struck ;  and  twice  now  I  felt 


terested  and  brought  all  my  gear 
to  me.  I  searched  through  the 
mess  and  finally  found  a  plug 
with. a  double  hook  put  on  with  a 
screw-eye,  which  I  unscrewed  and 
put  into  the  middle  of  the  alder 
stick  and  had  a  bait  something 
like  illustration  No.  2. 

I  sure  landed  that  "pick,"  and 
it  was  what  we  call  a  "whalloper," 
a  little  over  nineteen  inches  long, 
measured  from  the  rod  butt  to 
the  third  winding  up.  I  didn't 
have  the  scales  along,  but  Til  bet 
that  he  weighed — well,  if  I  told 


him  snub  the  stick  before  I  could 
get  it  in  for  another  cast. 

"Well,"  says  I,  "that  must  look 
pretty  good  to  him."  So  we  sat 
down  and  talked  it  over. 

You  know  that  the  young 
shoots  of  alder  are  a  dark  bronze 
green  and  when  the  bark  is  cut 
the  white  wood  shows  up  very 
distinctly.  There  must  have  been 
just  enough  white  showing  on 
that  stick  and  it  wasn't  too  con- 


you  you  might  think  I  came  from 
Tennessee  as  Dock  Gushwa  says 
in  his  article  on  "A  Trip  on  the 
Kankakee." 

We  catch  lots  of  small  ones 
here  (Rhode  Island),  but  never 
keep  one  under  ten  inches,  even 
though  we  go  home  without  any 
fish.  A  pickerel  over  eighteen 


106 


KINKS     OF     ALL     KINDS 


inches  in  this  locality  is  a  whale. 
So  now  you  know  just  why  it  was 
that  we  didn't  broil  him  right 
away.  You  see  we  knew  there 
was  sure  to  be  a  crowd  at  the 
boat  house  about  the  time  we 
would  get  back. 

The  little  stick  worked  so  well 
on  that  occasion  that  I  decided  to 
try  it  out  again  under  different 
conditions  and  in  different  waters. 
I  gave  it  that  tryout  in  a  pond 
about  five  miles  upstream.  On 
this  occasion  we  took  along  all  of 
our  gear  so  as  not  to  get  skunked, 
but  we  didn't  have  to  use  any- 
thing but  the  little  alder  stick  and 
I  made  a  fairly  good  catch.  Sev- 
eral times  now  I  have  taken  my 
rod,  reel  and  line,  a  swivel  and 
the  double  hook  to  some  pond  or 
stream,  cut  an  alder  sprout  for 
the  bait  and  had  fairly  good  luck, 
and  didn't  have  to  swear  and 
prick  my  fingers  untangling  a 
snarl  of  plugs. 

No,  I  haven't  given  up  plugs.  I 
use  them  all  I  can  and  keep  get- 
ting new  ones.  But  now  I  know 
that  when  it's  "go  light"  I  can 
take  along  a  spoon  bait  in  my  hat 
band  and  a  double  hook  to  make 
the  alder  bait  and  get  fish  with- 
out making  the  air  blue  over 
tangled  baits. 


LIGHTING  FIRE  WITH 
WATER 

BY  WALTER  RADEMAKER 
One    time     when     out    in    the 
woods  I  found  I  had  no  matches. 
Looking  for  my  burning  glass   I 


found  I  had  lost  it.  How  was 
I  to  start  a  fire?  I  took  a  leaf 
from  a  tree,  looped  the  stem  as  in 
the  illustration  and  dipped  it  in  a 
brook.  The  drop  of  water  caught 


in  the  loop  made  a  perfect  minia- 
ture lens.  This  I  used  as  a  burn- 
ing glass. 

I  first  lit  a  cigarette  with  it 
and  used  the  cigarette  to  light  my 
fire.  This  may  seem  hard  but 
proves  very  simple. 

A  blade  of  grass  or  a  bit  of 
wire  may  be  employed  for  the 
same  purpose.  If  wire  is  used,  see 
to  it  that  all  grease  is  wiped  off 
first,  as  the  water  will  not  stick 
to  form  the  necessary  lens  drop. 


A  HOOK  DISGORGER 

BY  J.  H.  SEVERIN 
Often  while  out  fishing  a  per- 
son   will    hook    a    fish    deep    and 
generally  he  finds  he  has  left  his 


hook  disgorger  behind  or  lost  it, 
as  I  did  several  times.  Now  I 
whittle  out  my  own.  Just  take 
a  small  branch  of  any  tree  and 
cut  to  suitable  length.  Notch 


KINKS    OF   ALL    KINDS 


107 


wide  end  and  cut  incision  on 
dotted  lines,  as  illustrated.  You 
can  make  these  to  suit  any  size 
hook  or  fish. 


A  SPOON  MINNOW  BAIT 

BY  W.  HUGH  SAWYER 
Did  you  ever  use  an  artificial 
minnow  of  the  treble  hook  style 
with  a  small  spoon  attached  in 
front  of  bait  instead  of  spinner? 
If  you  never  have,  here  is  a  kink 


are  not  hung  so  tight  as  in  some 
other  baits  I  have  used. 

As  for  the  spoons,  I  find  the 
Hildebrandt  Idaho  size  C  the 
best.  It  works  easily,  is  light, 
does  not  foul  readily  and  is  easy 
to  attach  and  detach.  Of  course 
the  tail  spinner  must  be  off  of 
the  bait,  and  the  bait  should  be 
reeled  slowly. 

This  makes  a  bait  that  will  cast 
easily  and  still  not  be  so  heavy, 
and  bass  seem  to  hit  it  when  no 


that  may  help  some  on  your  next 
season's  outing.  I  will  try  to  ex- 
plain how  to  do  this  and  what 
baits  I  find  it  works  best  with ; 
also  the  best  time  of  year  and 
weather  conditions. 

The  bait  I  think  best  for  this 
use  is  the  Shakespeare  nine-point 
bait  with  the  solid  red  for  bright 
days  and  clear  water,  especially 
in  August,  September  and  Oc- 
tober, when  all  the  rest  of  the 
fellows  have  quit  the  artificial  bait 
and  taken  to  the  live  minnow 
game,  which  I  never  follow. 

I  like  the  Shakespeare  baits 
best  for  this  purpose,  because 
they  are  a  smaller  bait  and  run 
better  in  the  water,  and  the  hooks 


other  bait  will  get  results.  A  lit- 
tle dipsy  sinker  fastened  to  the 
tie  loop  of  the  spoon  helps  some 
on  a  bright,  still  day,  when  they 
are  not  feeding  on  top  and  you 
don't  get  them  with  the  regular 
under-water  bait. 

In  fact,  I  have  found  that  on 
bright  days,  when  they  were  not 
inshore  feeding  and  all  other 
baits  failed  and  most  people  had 
got  discouraged,  then  I  would  get 
out  to  the  deep  and  put  out  the 
freak  spoon  bait  with  a  sinker 
attached  and  make  long  casts  to 
the  edge  of  the  offset  and  reel 
very  slowly  with  an  occasional 
quick  jerk  of  the  rod  which  makes 
the  bait  go  in  small  jumps  as 


108 


KINKS    OF    ALL    KINDS 


minnows  and  crawfish  often  do 
close  to  the  bottom.  This  bait  will 
also  get  results  in  early  spring, 
when  bass  are  not  very  lively. 

I  took  five  one  time  with  this 
bait  that  weighed  twenty-two 
pounds. 


HOME-MADE  ENAMEL 
FOR  THE  PLUG 

BY  JEFFERSON  HINES 

Is  there  a  "plug"  caster  among 
us  who  has  never  tried  out  some 
model  bait  of  his  own  invention 
and  found  that  the  greatest  draw- 
back to  the  success  of  his  crea- 
tion was  the  lack  of  a  proper  sys- 
tem of  enameling  the  wood  so 
that  it  is  entirely  waterproof  as 
well  as  sound  in  color?  Here  is 
a  kink  in  this  line  that  the  writer 
has  developed  and  put  to  the  test 
many  times  and  found  satisfac- 
tory : 

After  the  sandpapering  of  the 
bait  body  is  done  and  the  sockets 
are  neatly  drilled  for  the  hook- 
mountings  and  the  small  screw 
eye  hole  is  drilled  in  the  nose  of 
the  bait  and  you  are  figuring  on 
what  to  enamel  it  with,  get  some 
white  shellac  already  mixed  from 
the  paint  store. 

First  of  all,  thin  a  little  of  the 
shellac  with  alcohol  and  "size" 
the  bait  with  it,  either  by  brushing 
it  on  or  by  dipping.  Let  this  siz- 
ing dry,  well  (over  night,  say)  to 
be  sure  it  is  well  set. 

Now  get  whatever  colors  you 
wish  for  the  bait,  in  dry  form  in 
either  pigments  or  metallic 
bronzes.  Mix  whatever  body 


color  you  desire  in  regular  solu- 
tion of  shellac.  Use  just  enough 
shellac  to  the  amount  of  dry  color 
required  so  that  it  will  flow 
smoothly  from  the  brush  in  ap- 
plying. 

Mix  the  color  always  just  be- 
fore the  immediate  time  of  apply- 
ing, as  it  is  better  fresh.  Use  a 
small  flat  brush  and  rapidly  lay 
the  resulting  shellac-enamel  on  the 
bait  in  a  smooth,  thin  coat.  Hold 
the  bait  upon  a  large  pin  or 
sharpened  wire  stuck  into  the 
screw  eye  hole  in  the  end.  Hang 
the  bait  up  for  this  coat  to  dry 
over  night. 

Next  day  look  the  bait  over, 
and,  if  not  well  covered,  give  it 
another  body-tone  coat.  Again 
allow  to  harden  for  several 
hours. 

If  desired  to  have  the  back  of 
the  bait  colored  or  spotted  with  a 
different  tint,  mix  this  next  and 
apply  carefully,  either  by  brush- 
ing on  or  stippling  with  the  end 
of  the  brush. 

Do  not  forget  that  these  shellac 
enamels  must  be  applied  quickly 
and  deftly  to  be  smooth. 

Allow  the  last  coat  to  dry  over 
night  and  apply  a  coat  of  clear 
lacquer  (by  "clear"  we  mean  as 
colorless  as  can  be  procured). 

This  will  set  very  quickly,  as  it 
is  prepared  in  "banana  oil"  (amyl 
acetate),  and  furnishes  a  coat  that 
is  impervious  to  water. 

Be  sure  and  get  the  lacquer 
brushed  well  into  the  hook  and 
screw-eye  holes.  When  the  lac- 
quer is  dry,  the  bait  is  ready 


KINKS    OF   ALL    KINDS 


109 


for  its  mountings  and  then  for 
business. 

Mountings  and  hooks  may  be 
removed  from  some  old  wornout 
"plug"  and  made  to  serve  on  the 
new  bait  body. 

Shellac  is  only  semi-waterproof 
and  requires  the  protection  of  the 
finishing  coat  of  lacquer.  Shellac 
is  used  instead  of  oil  in  laying  on 
the  colors,  as  it  is  not  softened 
and  run  off  by  the  "banana  oil" 
in  the  lacquer  as  the  oil  would 
be. 

The  writer  has  experimented 
with  many  methods  of  coloring 
and  waterproofing  casting-baits  of 
his  own  "get  up"  and  out  of  all 
the  systems  this  is  the  only  one 
that  has  satisfactorily  stood  the 
test. 

A  few  artists'  flat  fitch-hair  or 
soft  bristle  brushes  of  assorted 
sizes,  not  exceeding  a  half-inch 
wide,  is  all  the  equipment  neces- 
sary. Use  an  old  dish  or  small 
tin  can  to  mix  color  in,  being 
careful  that  the  receptacle  is 
clean. 


A  KINK  THAT  SAVED  THE 
DAY 

BY  VAL 

Did  you  ever  cast  all  morning 
and  never  get  a  strike?  Well,  this 
happened  to  me  some  time  last 
June,  while  on  a  fishing  trip  in 
the  Fox  Lake  region,  near 
Chicago. 

My  partner,  whose  name  is  Bill, 
and  I  were  out  with  the  birds  in 
the  morning  before  "Old  Sol"  had 


shown  his  beaming  countenance  to 
warm  up  the  day,  as  it  was  some- 
what chilly. 

"Looks  good  to  me  this  morn- 
ing," was  Bill's  first  exclamation, 
upon  reaching  the  boat  landing. 

"Yes,  the  wind  is  right  and  we 
ought  to  get  a  few  before  break- 
fast," was  my  retort. 

After  assembling  our  tackle,  we 
started  out,  each  of  us  going  in 
opposite  directions,  using  separate 
boats.  I  choose  the  left  shore, 
while  Bill  choose  the  right  and 
with  parting  words  of  "Good  luck 
to  you,  Val,"  and  a  wave  of  hands 
we  were  off. 

I  started  in  casting  and  worked 
until  I  thought  my  arm  would 


break,  trying  out  every  inviting 
hole  that  was  known  to  me  on 
that  lake  on  the  left  short  line,  but 
never  got  a  rise.  I  was  thorough- 
ly tired  out  and  had  tried  every 
bait  I  had  in  my  tackle  book  and 
was  just  about  ready  to  row  in, 
when  the  breakfast  bell  rang,  call- 
ing us  in  to  the  "big  eats." 

When  I  reached  the  boat  land- 
ing, Bill  was  already  there  with 
his  face  all  smiles  and  I  knew  he 


110 


KINKS    OF   ALL    KINDS 


had  a  "few"  by  the  way  he  acted. 

"Well,  Bill,  how  did  you  make 
out?" 

"Oh !  not  so  bad.  I  got  three, 
one  a  pretty  fair  sized  bass,  and 
the  others  will  reach  about  two 
pounds  each." 

Of  course,  my  first  question 
was :  "What  wind  of  a  bait  have 
you  been  using?" 

"A  Hildebrandt  No.  3  single, 
with  Red  Ibis  fly  tied  on  a  num- 
ber 3/0  hook." 

"Have  you  an  extra  Ibis  in  your 
tackle  book?"  I  asked. 

"Sorry,  Val,  but  this  is  the  only 
one  I  have  with  me,  but  you  may 
use  this  one  after  breakfast  if  you 
like,"  Bill  replied. 

Of  course  I  refused  to  rob  Bill 
of  his  sport,  but  right  then  and 
there  I  got  to  thinking  how  I 
could  rig  up  a  fly  of  this  sort.  All 
during  breakfast,  I  had  nothing  to 
say,  but  was  doing  a  heap  of 
thinking,  and  while  pondering 
over  my  coffee  and  cigar  an  idea 
hit  me. 

"Bill,  I  am  going  to  make  a 
Red  Ibis,"  said  I.  He  laughed 
and  said:  "All  right,  go  to  it, 
but  you  can  go  out  with  me  and 
we  can  use  this  Ibis  fly  I  have 
in  partnership."  I  told  him  there 
was  nothing  doing,  that  I'd  have 
a  fly  in  a  few  minutes.  Start- 
ing for  the  veranda  where  my 
tackle  book,  net,  rod,  etc.,  were 
lying,  I  proceeded  to  dig  up  some 
red  felt,  which  I  cut  in  a  "V" 
shape,  one  for  each  side ;  my  part- 
ner watching  with  wondering 
eyes.  (See  illustration.) 


After  trimming  the  felt  nicely, 
rounding  the  corners,  etc.,  I  dug 
again,  this  time  for  a  spool  of 
red  winding  silk,  which  I  usually 
carry  with  me  for  emergency. 
Then  I  picked  up  a  Mayer 
Weighted  Weedless  Hook,  bent 
back  the  guards,  and  proceeded  to 
wind  my  felt  on  the  leaded  part. 
Bill  laughed,  and  said:  "Some  fly 
that!"  I  took  it  good  naturedly 
and  told  him  to  wait.  I  was  not 
through  yet.  Then  I  cut  a  small 
piece  of  pork  rind  about  an  inch 
long  and  also  cut  this  in  a  "V" 
shape,  the  largest  end  being  about 
a  quarter  of  an  inch  in  width  and 
stuck  the  pointed  end  of  the  rind 
on  the  hook  to  make  the  feather 
tail. 

My  partner  looked  at  me  in 
amazement  and  said :  "Of  all  the 
kinks  that  is  the  best  kink  I  have 
ever  seen!" 

I  attached  this  home-made  Ibis 
to  a  Hildebrandt  Spinner,  No.  3 
Idaho,  and  told  Bill  I  was  ready 
for  that  big  one. 

We  started  out  again  in  sepa- 
rate boats  and  I  covered  the  right 
shore  line  this  time  and  Bill  the 
left.  With  a  parting  remark  from 
Bill  to  the  effect  that  he  hoped 
I'd  connect  that  home-made  Ibis 
to  a  nice  bass  and  a  wave  of  his 
hand,  we  were  off  for  the  fore- 
noon's fishing.  To  make  a  long 
story  short,  that  home-made  Ibis 
was  the  "ticket"  and  I  connected 
all  right;  came  in  at  11  a.  m.  with 
four  bass  and  one  small  pickerel. 
The  total  weight  of  the  five  was 
fifteen  pounds.  Since  then  I  have 


KINKS    OF    ALL    KINDS 


111 


made  up  several  of  these  home- 
made affairs  and  have  landed 
many  a  bronze  back,  as  well  as 
numerous  pickerel  on  them. 


THE  WORM  WEED  GUARD 

BY  CLARK  H.  GALLUP 
Trout  fishing  being  next  on  the 
program,  I  am  going  to  tell  you 
about  a  hook  kink  that  has  served 
me  well  in  my  search  for  the 
speckled  beauties.  I  have  tried  it 
out  in  the  waters  of  Montana, 


brush  and  among  the  logs  and 
snags.  You  can  bet  it  gets  right 
in  where  the  trout  live. 

If  I  do  not  get  a  bite  I  do  not 
pull  my  hook  back  too  rapidly 
when  I  retrieve,  but  pull  it  out 
gently  and  seldom  get  snagged. 

When  using  large  worms  one  is 
enough  on  a  hook.  Start  the  hook 
about  one  and  one-half  inches 
back  from  the  head  of  the  worm 
and  run  it  toward  the  tail,  as 
shown  in  (Fig.  1.  Then  run  the 
point  of  the  hook  right  into  the 


Wyoming,  Colorado  and  Wiscon- 
sin, and  it  has  always  done  ex- 
cellent work. 

The  stunt  is  nothing  more  nor 
less  than  placing  an  ordinary  an- 
gle worm  on  the  hook,  so  as  to 
make  the  hook  practically  weed- 
less.  It  works  so  well  that  in 
small  brush  streams  where  the 
current  is  not  too  swift  I  do  not 
use  a  sinker  at  all,  but  just  let 
my  "patent"  worm  guard  hook 
float  with  the  current  right  into 
the  holes  under  the  bank,  in  the 


center  of  the  head,  well  past  the 
barb,  as  shown  in  Fig.  2,  and  you 
have  a  weed  guard  that  will  work 
in  the  tightest  place,  if  you  do  not 
jerk  too  hard.  Fig.  3  shows  how 
the  same  trick  may  be  worked 
with  two  smaller  worms. 


A  BROKEN  RING  GUIDE 

BY  DAVID  STEWART 

It  is  the  sad  realization  of  many 
sportsmen  that  they  cannot  be 
sportsmen  all  of  the  time;  lhat  is 


112 


KINKS    OF    ALL    KINDS 


to  say,  the  outdoor  sportsman,  the 
kind  above  all  the  rest.  Even 
those  of  our  brotherhood  who  are 
well  to  do  do  not  have  the  time 
that  they  want  to  themselves,  or 
perhaps  better,  to  the  bass  and 
trout  and  the  enjoyment  experi- 
enced in  their  capture.  How 
many  of  us  have  not  felt  the  an- 
guish of  passing  by  a  beautiful 
stream  on  a  good  day  because  of 
lack  of  equipment  or  time  in 
which  to  get  things  ready?  This 
has  led  many  to  carrying  many- 
pieced  rods  in  their  suitcases 
while  traveling.  But  even  these 
require  time  to  get  ready.  When 
one  imagines  every  unused  mo- 
ment an  unused  chance  at  some 
beauty  of  the  dark  water,  any 
means  of  adding  rapidity  to 
preparation  and  still  not  hazard- 
ing the  efficiency  of  equipment  is 
hailed  with  joy  and  enthusiasm. 

The  impatience  experienced  on 
numerous  chilly  mornings  when 
cold-stiffened  fingers  made  it  hard 
to  thread  the  line  through  the 
guides,  led  the  author  to  adapting 
or  perhaps  transposing  a  device 
known  for  years  on  the  family 
sewing  machine,  which  allowed 
threading  through  an  eye,  without 
pushing  the  thread  through.  All 
of  us  know  of  it,  and  some,  too, 
may  have  used  the  scheme  in  this 
application,  but  it  is  not  widely 
known,  and  is  too  good  to  keep. 
I  have  only  tried  it  as  a  two-piece 
wire  guide  (Fig.  E),  but  varia- 
tions of  many  kinds  have  oc- 
curred to  me.  The  form  used 
patterns  somewhat  after  common 


snake  guide,  but  as  the  chief  ad- 
vantage of  this  form  (strength) 
is  lost  by  breaking  the  wire  be- 
tween the  attached  ends,  slightly 
heavier  wire  should  be  used,  al- 
though this  is  not  compulsory. 

The  means  of  making  these  is 
very  simple.  Phosphor  bronze 
wire  was  used  by  the  author,  but 
German  silver  does  very  well. 
The  wire  is  carefully  flattened  for 
^s  inch  (according  to  size  of 
guide)  with  a  light  hammer  and 
a  smooth  iron  surface.  A  nail  the 
size  of  the  guide  aperture  is  then 
filed  off  on  one  side  (Fig.  A),  and 
the  flattened  end  of  the  wire 
(Fig.  B)  is  held  here,  parallel  to 
the  nail,  with  a  pair  of  pinchers. 
With  another  pair,  or  the  fingers, 
the  wire  is  bent  sharply  to  the 
left  and  spirally  around  the  nail 
for  nearly  a  complete  turn.  The 
unflattened  end  of  the  wire  is 
then  bent  slightly  out  away  from 
the  nail  (to  avoid  any  chance  of 
the  line  getting  caught  while  in 
use),  and  the  wire  is  here  cut  off. 

The  upper  edges  of  the  flat- 
tened base  should  be  ground  with 
a  stone  or  file  to  avoid  the  silk 
winding  being  cut,  and  the  round 
cut  end  of  wire  should  be  finished 
off  a  little,  too,  with  a  stone. 
Each  part  of  the  guide  is  made 
in  the  same  way  and  is  wound  on 
the  rod  with  space  enough  be- 
tween to  let  the  line  through. 
(See  diagram,  Fig.  D.) 

One-piece  guides  could  be  made 
very  simply  with  machinery,  the 
guides  being  stamped  out  of  thin 
sheet  metal  (Fig.  F,  1)  and  fin- 


KINKS    OF   ALL    KINDS 


113 


ished  to  suit  the  carefullest  of 
tastes.  With  this  style  the  guide 
might  be  belled  to  reduce  friction. 
I  have  had  to  be  satisfied  with 
the  regular  form  of  tip  or  end 
guide,  because  the  spirial  type 
(also  adapted  from  the  sewing 
machine)  does  not  work  very 
well,  because  fly  casting  and  bait 


fishing  in  brushy  trout  streams  it 
has  often  unwound,  or  at  least 
tangled  the  line.  It  has  been 
used,  though,  to  good  effect  in  a 
rod  used  for  trolling,  and  has  the 
significant  advantage  that  one 
may  take  down  his  rod  and  wind 
up  his  reel  without  taking  bait  or 
sinker  from  the  line. 

I  don't  doubt  but  that  some  of 
OUTER'S  BOOK  readers,  with  more 
ingenuity  than  the  author,  will,  if 
they  try,  find  a  way  which  will 
not  allow  the  line  to  tangle  at  the 
top. 

There  would,  of  course,  be  no 
need  for  carrying  the  fine  parts  of 
this  type  of  guide  too  far.  With 
the  large  guides  of  a  bait-casting 
rod  there  is  no  need  for  this 
broken  ring  guide,  and  it  would 
be  folly  to  try  to  substitute  it, 
but  in  the  little  outfit  that  you 
want  always  with  you,  the  get- 
there-quick  variety,  it  seems  very 
likely  that  this  should  find  its 
place  and  keep  it. 


A  QUICK  UNTYING  KNOT 

BY  PHILIP  H.  GREELEY 
The  knot  shown  in  the  sketches 
is  one  that  will  be  found  very 
convenient  in  tying  fishing  line  to 
bait,  hooks,  leaders,  etc.,  as  it  can 
be  untied  instantly,  yet,  if  made 
correctly,  i-t  will  stand  a  line 
breaking  test  without  pulling  out. 
The  knot  makes  a  clove  hitch 
that  has  a  loop  so  that  it  can  be 
pulled  out  quickly. 

In  the  sketches  A  represents  a 
ring  like  the  eye  of  a  swivel,  B 


114 


KINKS    OF   ALL    KINDS 


the  line  from  the  reel,  and  C  the 
end  of  the  line. 

To  make  the  knot  pass  the  end 
of  the  line  (C)  through  the  ring 
twice  as  shown  in  Fig.  1.  Then 
bend  the  line  to  form  a  loop  at 
D  and  pass  the  loop  (D)  through 


my  assortment  of  flies  and  never 
fail  to  take  advantage  of  the  op- 
portunity afforded  for  casting, 
where  these  streams  broaden  out 
sufficiently  or  are  kind  enough  to 
flow  through  a  brushless  meadow 
or  the  like. 


the  space  marked  E,  as  shown  in 
Fig.  2.  Hold  the  loop  (D)  in  po- 
sition and  pull  the  ring  (A)  and 
the  line  (B).  The  finished  knot 
is  shown  in  Fig.  3. 

The  knot  is  confusing  at  first, 
but  after  making  it  a  few  times 
it  is  easily  and  quickly  made  and 
can  be  untied  by  pulling  C,  the 
end  of  the  line. 


CREEL   COVER   BAIT   BOX 

BY  W.  H.  FORD 

Perhaps  I  will  be  degraded  in 
the  eyes  of  the  true  trout  fisher- 
man for  ever  thinking  of  any- 
thing to  encourage  or  assist  in 
the  unmanly  art  of  "baiting"  for 
trout  I  have  but  one  excuse  to 
offer — most  of  my  fishing  has  to 
be  done  on  the  narrow  brush- 
bound  streams  of  Connecticut 
where  fly-fishing  is  quite  impos- 
sible, although  of  course  I  carry 


If  you  have  ever  fished  these 
"Southern  New  England  Brooks" 
you  can  appreciate  what  I  mean 
for  here  all  the  trouting  hazards 
that  I  have  occasionally  seen  pub- 
lished as  originating  with  the 
"Pessimist"  are  present,  and  one 
is  pretty  busy  manipulating  even 
the  lowly  worm. 

The  bait  boxes  commonly  furn- 
ished are  of  two  shapes.  One, 
the  Crescent,  through  which  the 
belt  is  run,  is  a  clumsy,  unhandy 
article  which  not  only  bulges  out 
the  coat,  but  necessitates  opening 
the  coat  to  get  at,  unless  one  cares 
to  wear  it  with  a  belt  on  the  out- 
side, which  then  makes  a  very 
convenient  thing  to  catch  in  the 
brush  and  delay  one's  progress. 
The  other  is  a  sort  of  miniature 
creel  shape,  and  is  made  in  two 
ways,  either  to  fasten  on  the  belt 
as  the  Crescent  is,  where  the  same 
difficulties  obtain  as  for  the  latter, 


KINKS    OF   ALL    KINDS 


115 


or  with  a  large  blanket  pin  which 
may  be  punched  through  the  cloth- 
ing on  any  part  of  the  anatomy, 
which  is  not  particularly  good  for 
the  clothing.  But  the  trouble  with 
both  these  is  that  one  can  only 
manipulate  two  fingers  inside 
them  and  this  with  difficulty  and 
danger  from  being  cut.  These 
things  always  bothered  me,  but 
the  greatest  argument  against 
them  to  my  mind  is  that  they  are 
not  convenient,  and  thereby  re- 
quire too  many  operations  or 
movements,  a  condition  which  is 
not  to  be  desired  when  you  are 
standing  above  a  likely  hole,  fish- 
ing down  stream  as  one  usually 
must  in  this  kind  of  fishing. 

Well,  I  decided  I'd  had  enough 
of  this  trouble  and  got  busy.  The 
sketches  enclosed,  I  think,  show 


about  everything  except  the  ma- 
terials used,  and  this  is  where  the 
beauty  of  the  "kink"  comes  in.  It 
consists  of  one  flat  type  tobacco 
box,  two  large  size  brass  count- 
ing house  fasteners  with  the  round 
heads  removed ;  and  the  outer  end 
of  the  main  spring  of  an  old 
clock  (though  most  any  piece  of 
flat  spring  steel  would  do)  riveted 
to  the  cover  to  keep  it  closed.  The 
brass  fasteners  are  inserted 
through  two  rectangular  holes  in 
the  bottom  of  the  box  and  se- 
curely soldered  on  the  inside  of 
the  box  (a  rough  job  is  good 
enough  to  hold  it).  These  easily 
slip  between  the  reeds  of  the  creel 
cover  and  when  the  prongs  are 
bent  over,  hold  the  box  flat  and 
tight  to  the  creel  cover.  The  box 
is  mounted  so  that  it  opens  away 


U* 


o  o    °  o         o     T 

o      o        o        o      o  -1 — 

o  o 

o  o  ft  o        o 


Cree/  Cose 


116 


KINKS    OF    ALL    KINDS 


from  the  fisherman,  i.e.,  the  fast- 
ener towards  him.  Of  course,  the 
cover  is  punched  or  drilled  with 
enough  holes  to  allow  for  venti- 
lation. 

This  done,  the  article's  conven- 
ience is  very  evident,  for  after 
having  dropped  the  last  "catch" 
into  the  creel  through  the  opening 
in  its  cover,  there,  almost  in  the 
same  spot  is  the  fresh  bait  for  the 
next.  I  have  used  the  first  one 
I  made  four  seasons,  and  have 
made  several  for  friends  who  have 
urged  me  to  do  so,  which  demon- 
strates that  it  is  not  a  mere 
"fancy"  but  a  tried  and  true 
"kink." 


TO  THE  BAIT  CASTER 
AND  DUCK  HUNTER 

BY  C.  C.  KELTY 

Here  is  a  kink  I  intended  to 
send  you  last  fall,  but  it  slipped 
my  mind  until  you  started  your 
"Kink  Contest."  While  it  isn't  a 
kink  to  catch  the  fish,  it  has  to  do 
with  tackle  and  has  been  of  con- 
siderable use  to  me  and  may  be 
to  some  others.  In  fact,  a  fellow 
gave  me  a  big,  round  cartwheel 
for  the  use  of  it  about  five  min- 
utes once  and  I  decided  then  that 
he  had  paid  enough  to  give  it  to 
the  world  at  large  through 
OUTER'S. 

For  two  seasons  I  have  used 
a  casting  rod,  reel  and  line  in  get- 
ting out  ducks  I  have  shot  in 
small  inland  lakes  and  potholes 
where  it  is  impossible  to  wade  or 
swim.  The  first  year  I  used  a 
floater,  one  with  a  tin  collar  and 


three  gangs  of  hooks.  But  that 
wasn't  very  successful,  as  the 
hooks  were  too  small  and  would 
slip  over  the  duck  at  times.  So 
last  year  I  made  three  different 
plugs  for  the  purpose  and  I  will 
give  you  a  description  of  the  one 
I  found  the,  best. 

Take  a  piece  of  light,  dry  wood 
(I  used  pine)  and  cut  it  egg- 
shaped  and  a  little  larger  than  an 
egg.  Then  cut  a  groove  on  the 
bottom  about  */$  inch  wide  and  a 
little  over  Y%  inch  deep  and  half 
the  length  of  the  plug,  with  a 
small  hole  at  the  end  of  the  groove 
or  center  of  the  plug.  Then  get 
a  large  hook,  12-0  or  larger,  and 
fasten  it  in  the  groove  with 
double  point  tacks,  so  that  the 
eye  protrudes  for  an  eye  to  fasten 
line  to  plug.  Then  fill  the  groove 
and  hole  with  enough  lead  so  it 
floats  nicely  and  cover  with  a 
couple  of  coats  of  enamel  and 
you  have  it.  Two  hooks  on  the 
bottom  will  work  better  than  one 
unless  you  have  to  use  it  where 
there  are  lily  pads,  and  then  it 
catches  too  many  of  them. 

In  using  this  plug  cast  over  the 
bird,  holding  the  tip  of  the  pole 
up.  Then  let  the  line  down  over 
the  bird  and  reel  in.  Set  the  hook 
same  as  in  a  fish.  If  you  should 
want  to  get  a  rod  for  this  work 
and  haven't  anything  against 
using  a  steel  pole,  the  Union 
Hardware  Company  have  one 
called  Samson  steel  rod  that  is 
just  the  thing.  It  joints  up  short 
and  has  locking  reel  seat  which 
locks  on  the  lower  band  and  this 


KINKS    OF   ALL    KINDS 


117 


makes  a  fair  grip.  Pole  only 
costs  $1.50  and  will  stand  all  kinds 
of  abuse. 

I  use  a  Meisselbach  "Tri-part" 
reel,  and  want  to  say  I  find  one 
good  point  about  it  I  never  see 
mentioned,  and  that  is  that  there 


are  no  screws  that  can  work 
loose  and  let  you  cast  a  part  of 
your  reel  in  the  lake.  This  might 
not  happen  with  a  higher-priced 
reel,  but  I  mean  for  a  reel  of  its 
price.  The  man  that  has  a  good 
dog  (mind  I  say  good)  won't 
have  much  use  for  this  kink  un- 
less he  wants  the.  fun  of  it  or  to 
save  his  dog  some  trips  into  the 
cold  water.  If  this  kink  finds  a 
place  in  your  magazine  to  help 
some  other  fellow  that  is  in  my 
fix  (hasn't  a  good  dog)  I  will 
feel  amply  repaid  for  writing  it. 
I  have  found  many  to  whom  it 
was  new  and  for  some  reason  ye 
duck  hunter  seems  to  be  a  bait- 
caster  as  well.  I  am  sure  he  will 
get  much  sport  out  of  combining 
the  two. 


NETTING  AND  STRING 

BY  "KINKER" 

Brother    angler,    did    you    ever 
take   along   on   your   fishing   trip 


several  yards  of  mosquito  netting 
and  a  ball  of  twine?  And  did 
their  usefulness  ever  appear  to 
you? 

Assuming  you  are  off  for  sev- 
eral days  or  a  week-end,  go  to  the 
corner  store  and  procure  what- 
ever amount  of  netting  appeals 
to  you  to  get  and  a  ball  of  twine. 

1st.  Because  when  you  get  to 
the  fishing  grounds  the  first  thing 
you  need  is  bait,  and  in  order  to 
catch  bait  you  need  a  net.  A 
good  serviceable  light  net  for 
catching  minnows,  crawfish,  frogs, 
grasshoppers  or  crickets  can 
quickly  and  easily  be  constructed. 
Cut  a  slender  sapling  about  6  feet 
long  and  bend  the  top  into  a  good 
sized  loop.  Cut  a  pie.ce  of  netting 
of  proper  size  so  that  the  four 
corners  may  be  nicely  folded 
around  loop,  forming  a  net. 
Fasten  corners  by  running  a  string 
spirally  through  netting  and 
around  loop  of  bended  sapling. 

2d.  Having  a  net;  you  need  a 
minnow  pail  or  cage,  as  the  case 


may  be.  Take  any  pail,  prefer- 
ably as  large  as  you  have,  and  tie 
a  piece  of  netting  over  the  top 
after  the  manner  that  a  farmer's 
wife  ties  paper  over  the  top  of  a 
butter  jar,  viz.,  lay  the  netting 
over  the  top  and  run  a  string 
around  the  outside  about  1  inch 
from  the  brim.  If  it  is  desired 
to  use  this  for  minnows,  crawfish 


118 


KINKS    OF    ALL    KINDS 


or  frogs,  a  small  flat  stone  should 
be  laid  in  the  bottom  to  help  to 
keep  it  upright  when  in  the  water ; 
if  for  grasshoppers  or  crickets  a 


few  handfuls  of  grass  is  all  that 
is  needed  on  bottom. 

3d.  If  you  are  fortunate 
enough  to  catch  several  fine  fish 
you  surely  would  like  to  take 
them  home  to  show  the  boys  that 
you  can  "deliver  the  goods."  You 
have  no  ice,  but  if  you  could 
"keep  'em  alive"  till  you  are  ready 
to  make  your  retirement  all  the 
better.  Here  you  are  as  lazy  as 
can  be — keep  all  you  wish  as  long 
as  you  wish. 


Set  four  stakes  in  about  1  or  2 
feet  of  water.  String  your  mo- 
squito netting  around  these  just 
as  though  you  were  building  a 


chicken  yard  at  home.  Be  sure 
that  the  netting  goes  well  to  bot- 
tom and  projects  out  of  the  water 
about  1  foot.  Tie  the  netting  to 
stakes  at  top  with  twine ;  place 
long,  heavy  stones  on  edge  of  net- 
ting all  along  bottom.  Thus  a  fish 
pen  is  built.  Throw  in  all  you 
wish.  Should  you  wish  to  re- 
move them,  use  the  net  already 
made.  Such  a  pen  should  never 
be  built  on  mud  bottom.  A 
branch  or  two  laid  over  the  top 
will  help  to  keep  off  the  sun's 
rays,  which  makes  fish  more  com- 
fortable. 

4th.  While  dreaming  over 
those  bronze  backs  down  in  the 
pen  that  you  will  kill  in  the  morn- 
ing to  take  home  and  show  the 
boys,  it  will  add  to  your  comfort 
and  the  tranquility  of  the  night 
if  you  throw  that  last  piece  of 
netting  over  your  face  to  keep  off 
those  malaria  distributors,  in  or- 
der that  you  may  retain  good 
health  to  return  with  a  few  more 
yards  of  fresh  netting  and  an- 
other ball  of  twine. 


FOR  FLOATING  LIVE  BAIT 

By  FRED  R.  SEMENETZ 
A  few  fishermen  realize  that 
wall-eyed  pike  and  black  bass  are 
as  ready  to  feed  at  night  as  in  the 
daytime.  I  have  met  with  great 
success  during  the  months  of 
August,  September  and  October, 
and  most  of  my  fishing  was  done 
at  night.  I  have  found  that  wall- 
eyes will  strike  at  angleworms 
much  quicker  than  at  any  other 
bait  that  I  have  used,  though  I 


KINKS    OF   ALL    KINDS 


119 


have  caught  the  wall-eyes  by  feed- 
ing them  live  minnows  also. 

The  accompanying  cuts  will 
show  the  method  I  use  in  working 
my  kink.  Fig.  1  shows  line  in 
proper  fold.  I  use  common  small 
corks,  cut  about  half-way  in  the 


center.  Fold  line  in  the  cut  corks, 
using  three  corks,  and  if  neces- 
sary, four.  You  will  find  that 
when  the  bass  strikes,  the  corks 
will  fall  off,  leaving  the  line  free 
for  play.  The  distance  between 
first  cork  and  leader  is  from  12 


you  can  hook  the  worm  twice; 
use  at  least  ten  or  twelve  worms, 
so  as  to  make  a  big  mass  (see 
Fig.  2).  Be  sure  to  strike  fast 
or  you  will  lose  the  game. 

I  halve  given  this  kink  to  many 
brother   fishermen   and   invariably 


it  has  brought  good  results. 

My  advice  to  those  who 
are  troubled  with  a  weak 
heart  or  are  given  to 
"nerves"  is  to  refrain  from 
fishing  for  the  elusive  wall- 
eye or  the  fighting  bass  at  night, 
for  when  you  are  lucky  enough  to 
get  a  strike  from  a  four  or  five- 
pound  wall-eye  or  bass  it  is  as 
if  you  had  received  a  kick  from  a 
mule.  The  suddden  fright  is  dis- 
concerting in  the  extreme.  Those 


to  IS-  inches  and  from  the  second 
and  third  the  same.  If  you  use 
minnow  be  sure  to  hook  him 
under  the  top  fin;  care  must  be 
taken  to  avoid  piercing  the  back- 
bone. In  using  angleworms  for 
wall-eye,  place  the  worms  so  that 


who  are  in  the  habit  of  fishing  at 
night  for  these  fish  can  verify 
this  statement. 

When  I  had  my  first  experience 
at  night  fishing  I  was  fifteen  years 
of  age.  It  was  also  my  introduc- 
tion to  the  "floating  bait,"  and 
that  night  will  remain  a  redletter 
night  in  my  memory.  Father  and 
I  started  up  the  Cedar  River  (in 
Iowa,  at  Linwood,  above  Cedar 
Rapids)  on  the  night  of  the  23rd 


120 


KINKS    OF    ALL    KINDS 


of  October,  1888,  about  9 :30.  We 
reached  the  fishing  grounds  about 
10:30.  I  baited  father's  line  with 
a  live  chub  minnow  and  started 
it  down  stream.  To  this  day  I 
can't  remember  the  exact  length 
of  line  I  had  out,  but  it  did  not 
seem  to  be  over  fifteen  or  twenty 
feet.  Suddenly  something  hap- 
pened; I  realized  that  I  had  a 
strike,  and  I  struck  simultaneously 
with  Mr.  Bass.  Excitement  ran 
riot  in  the  boat.  I  knocked  over 
the  minnow  pail,  also  the  lantern, 
putting  it  out.  Father  came  to 
the  rescue  by  getting  the  anchor 
in  the  boat  and  put  inshore.  After 
pulling  and  tugging  with  this  sav- 
age fish  for  over  twenty  minutes, 
I  finally  brought  him  to  shore. 
Father  scooped  him  up  with  the 
dip  net  and  into  the  boat.  The 
bass  weighed  5^  pounds.  That 
was  all  the  fishing  I  wanted  for 
that  night.  Father  had  better  suc- 
cess as  the  night  progressed,  land- 
ing three  more  bass,  of  2^,  3TA 
and  2  Ibs.  weight,  respectively. 
Father  accused  me  of  having  been 
frightened  out  of  ten  years' 
growth. 

I  have  great  confidence  in  the 
Cincinnati  bass  hook,  and  I  have 
used  it  continuously  and  have 
landed  some  big  bass  with  its  aid. 
Some  of  the  striped  bass  have 
weighed  as  high  as  28  Ibs. 

I  have  used  the  cork  floats  in 
fishing  in  Nevada,  on  the  Truckee 
River,  where  it  was  impossible  to 
get  within  forty  feet  of  the 
"holes."  I  used  four  or  five  corks 
and  floated  my  fly  or  bait  down 


the  riffles  to  the  deep  holes.  I 
landed  some  trout  that  would  do 
credit  to  any  fisherman. 

I  have  used  the  cork  float  on 
other  rivers  in  California  and 
have  been  usually  successful  at 
Tiburon,  using  in  this  instance 
clams  and  sardines  as  bait. 

Black  bass  strike  at  different 
baits  at  different  times  of  season, 
helgramites,  soft  shell  crawfish, 
angleworms,  minnows,  flies, 
spoons,  grasshoppers — all  have 
their  turn.  Bass  are  like  human 
beings  in  that  they  know  the  kind 
of  food  they  prefer,  and  giving 
them  food  out  of  season  is  com- 
parable to  giving  a  chap  who  goes 
into  a  restaurant  and  orders  corn 
beef  and  cabbage,  mush  and  milk. 

CRAWFISH    AND   CANDY 

BY  HOLLAND   GREER 
When  I  was  a  boy  of  twelve,  I 
was    a    great    lover    of    what   we 
now  call  crawfish. 

Many  a  day  I  would  play 
truant  from  school.  Going  down 
by  the  old  creek  I  would  sit  on 
the  bank  and  fish  for  those  mis- 
chievous "devils"  for  hours  at  a 
time.  Often  I  had  little  or  no  suc- 
cess. In  those  days  about  the 
best  method  of  catching  crawfish 
was  to  tie  a  piece  of  fat  pork  on 
the  end  of  a  string,  let  the  pork 
end  of  the  string  sink  to  the  bot- 
tom and  then  wait  for  results. 

This  was  very  tiresome,  and  at 
times  caused  me  to  go  home  in 
disgust,  and  get  the  usual  ha,  ha. 
Realizing  that  the  pork  and  string 
idea  was  on  the  bum,  I  began  to 


KINKS    OF    ALL    KINDS 


121 


think  up  a  new  scheme  of  my 
own. 

Early  one  morning  I  decided  to 
try  my  new  scheme  out.  I  went 
down  to  the  grocery  and  bought 
five  cents'  worth  of  this  old-style 
stick  peppermint  candy.  I  tied 
the  candy  on  the  string  and  sent 
it  to  the  bottom.  When  I  raised 
it  up  out  of  the  water  there  were 
about  ten  crawfish  hanging  on, 
and  before  sundown  I  had  about 
300  of  those  devils. 

Crawfish  certainly  love  candy. 
Try  it!  

A  BAIT  BELT 

BY  F.  J.  MINCK 

The  question  of  carrying  my 
artificial  lures  for  bass  fis'hing  has 
always  been  a  problem  until  I  hit 
upon  the  idea  of  carrying  them 
in  the  tin  boxes  that  Prince  Al- 
bert and  Velvet  tobacco  came  in. 
These  boxes  are  fine,  as  the  lid  is 
hinged  on  and  the  lures  fit  just 
snug  enough  so  that  they  do  not 
rattle,  which  also  saves  the  enamel 
on  them.  By  pressing  the  ends 
of  these  tins  the  middle  will 
bulge  a  little  and  you  can  easily 
slip  in  the  lure,  even  if  it's  a 
little  snug.  The  Prince  Albert  tin 
will  hold  almost  any  of  the  under- 
water lures  for  bass,  also  some 
of  the  surface  lures.  The  Velvet 
tin  is  a  little  bigger,  but  not  quite 
so  deep,  and  will  easily  hold  such 
lures  as  the  Decker  surface. 

I  have  six  of  these  tins  fastened 
on  a  leather  belt  which  I  wear 
around  my  waist  when  fishing 
(Fig.  A).  I  wear  a  thirty-four 


belt,  so  of  course  a  man  that 
wears  a  forty-four  might  be  able 
to  fasten  on  another  half  dozen. 
It  is  very  simple  to  make,  and 
costs  but  little.  Get  a  fifty-cent 
belt  and  two  copper  rivets  with 
washers  for  each  tin.  The  tins 
won't  cost  you  anything,  as  you 
can  get  them  from  friends  if  you 
don't  smoke.  I  think  my  belt  cost 
me  about  seventy-five  cents,  all 
told. 

Now,  punch  a  'hole  near  both 
sides  of  each  tin  on  the  back  by 
first  putting  a  piece  of  board  that 
fits  the  box  snug  and  hammering 
a  nail  of  the  right  size  thru.  Then 
cut  holes  in  your  belt  to  corre- 
spond with  holes  in  the  tin.  Take 


UUUUULJ     A 
c         c 


your  rivet  (these  should  have  a 
flat  head),  and  insert  them  thru 
the  tin  first;  then  thru  the  belt. 
Slip  washer  over  end  of  rivet  and 
hammer  head  on  rivet  by  using 
a  piece  of  iron  inside  of  tin  so 
that  you  won't  bend  tin  while 
hammering  head  on  rivet  Or  you 
can  use  very  small  bolts  which 
have  a  thread  the  whole  length, 
and  screw  on  the  nut.  You  can 
buy  these  at  any  hardware  store. 
Fasten  the  tins  about  two  inches 
apart  on  the  belt,  which  allows 
you  space  to  fold  it  up  and  also 
lets  it  fit  better  around  the  waist. 
For  my  larger  lures  such  as  wob- 


122 


KINKS    OF   ALL    KINDS 


biers  and  surface  baits  with  a  col- 
lar, I  use  a  one-half  pound  Prince 
Albert  tin  (Fig.  B).  I  take  two 
pieces  of  tin  or  heavy  cardboard 
and  cut  them  the  length  and  width 
of  the  inside  of  the  tobacco  tin. 
Now  slit  each  piece  half  way  to 
the  middle  (Fig.  C-C).  Then  slip 
them  together  so  that  the  slit  of 
one  fits  into  the  slit  of  the  other, 
and  slip  into  the  tin,  making  four 
compartments  which  are  large 
enough  for  any  artificial  lure. 
Have  the  ends  of  tin  or  card- 
board straight,  so  they  will  fit 
snug  in  the  bottom  of  tobacco  tin, 
but  do  not  fasten,  which  allows 
you  to  bend  the  sides  a  little  either 
way  if  necessary.  You  can  fasten 
the  lid  on  this  box  by  making  a 
hinge  of  wire.  This  box  fits  in 
my  pocket  or  I  carry  it  in  my 
creel. 


A  PICK-UP  KINK 

BY  CLARENCE  GRAHAM 
One  day  I  was  fishing  from  the 
end  of  a  log  overhanging  the 
creek.  I  took  out  my  knife  to  cut 
some  bait  and  when  through  with 
very  necessary  operation,  stuck 
the  knife  in  the  log  beside  me. 


the  small  end  for  about  six  inches 
back.  Then  I  forced  a  small  stick 
down  into  the  split  so  as  to  hold 
it  apart.  After  that  it  was  a  sim- 
ple matter  to  shove  the  stick 
down  over  the  knife.  The  small 
stick  fell  out  as  soon  as  the  knife 
was  forced  back  far  enough  and 
the  spring  of  the  wood  held  the 
knife  strongly.  By  means  of  this 
kink  a  fellow  could  pick  up  a  rod 
or  almost  any  kind  of  an  object 
that  had  fallen  into  the  water. 


THE  SLIDING  FLOAT  FOR 
BAIT  CASTERS 

BY  C.  T.  WINSTON 
Did  you  ever  fish  a  small  stream 
with  low,  overhanging  branches 
all  along  and  want  to  place  your 
minnow  into  a  likely  looking  spot 
on  the  other  side,  and  find  that 
most  of  the  time  you  caught  a 
bunch  of  leaves,  or  when  you  did 
miss  them  you  couldn't  cast  half 
way  across?  Well,  I  have,  and 
to  get  my  bait  across  I  worked 
out  the  following: 

An  attachment  on  the  float 
which  lets  it  rest  just  above  the 
sinker  when  the  cast  is  being 
made,  thereby  placing  all  the 


Shortly  afterward  I  hooked  a  nice 
fish  and  in  landing  it  knocked  my 
knife  into  the  water.  The  knife 
was  a  good  one  and  I  didn't  like 
to  lose  it.  The  water  was  nearly 
ten  feet  deep  and  very  clear. 
With  my  belt  axe  I  cut  a  pole 
about  twelve  feet  long  and  split 


weight  practically  at  one  spot,  then 
lets  the  bait  and  sinker  drop  to  a 
pre-determined  depth.  To  make 
the  outfit  procure  an  oval  cork 
float  about  one  inch  diameter  by 
four  inches  long  (the  short,  thick 
ones  or  the  very  slender  ones  will 
not  work)  and  some  "Gem"  pa- 


KINKS    OF    ALL    KINDS 


123 


per  clips.  Straighten  a  clip  and 
make  a  loop  about  3-16-inch  or 
^4-inch  diameter  in  end.  Then 
wrap  wire  tightly  around  stick  in 
end  of  float  a  couple  of  times  and 
cut  off.  Repeat  operation  on 
other  end  of  stick  and  float  is 
ready.  The  rings  must  be  far 
enough  from  stick  to  prevent  the 
line  from  touching  side  of  float 
(see  sketch).  Now  make  up  a 
dozen  or  so  of  rings  about  5-16 
inch  inside  diameter  of  the  same 
material  as  used  for  guides  on 


just  above  bait,  lower  rod  to  hori- 
zontal position  and  snap  it  out. 

In  lake  fishing  this  kink  keeps 
the  minnow  from  getting  away 
down  in  the  weeds  and  hiding 
from  the  big  fellows. 

A  PERMANENT  REEL 
FILLING 

BY  GRANT  R.  LYNCH 

Everyone  knows  that  the  size 
of  reel  most  used  and  suitable 
for  bait-casting  carries  more  line 

UNE 


float.  A  lead  pencil  makes  a  fine 
former  for  this.  Make  a  turn  and 
a  half  around  pencil,  letting  wire 
touch  all  around.  Allow  the  ends 
to  project  slightly,  which  will 
make  it  easier  to  insert  line. 

The  paper  clips  are  somewhat 
springy  and  do  not  rust  easily, 
and  I  believe  are  better  than  cop- 
per wire.  To  use  outfit  run  line 
through  a  ring  and  force  it  be- 
tween turns  at  depth  wanted,  slip 
on  float  and  place  another  ring 
just  above  end  of  line.  Attach 
sinker  of  proper  weight  just  be- 
low this  line  and  then  the  hook. 

Bait  hook,  reel  up  line  until  up- 
per ring  touches  tip  of  rod,  grasp 
line  between  thumb  and  finger 


of  the  size  we  want  to  use  than 
is  necessary  in  fishing.  Nearly 
every  one  uses  150  feet  and  puts 
a  core  of  old  line  on  the  reel.  Of 
course  that  will  do,  but  every  time 
the  line  is  used  the  old  as  well  as 
the  new  line  must  be  dried.  If  the 
new  is  only  dried  and  then  wound 
on  over  the  wet  line  it  is  nearly 
as  bad  as  not  drying  at  all.  The 
moisture  comes  through  and  rots 
the  good  line.  For  those  who 
fish  only  once  a  year,  line  drying 
is  no  bother,  but  for  those  who 
average  as  much  fishing  as  I 
(once  every  three  days  from 
opening  day  until  ice)  line  drying 
is  a  bother  to  be  cut  as  short  as 
possible. 


124 


KINKS    OF    ALL    KINDS 


Corks  may  be  split  and  shoved 
over  the  spindle  of  the  reel,  but 
require  fitting  and  fussing  with  to 
get  a  good  neat  job.  I  overcome 
the  difficulty  by  winding  on  the 
good  line  and  then  filling  the 
reel  with  common  cord  or  old 
line.  Then  I  unwind  and  wind 
on  the  cord  or  old  line  smoothly 
next  to  the  spindle.  Before  this 
I  buy  at  the  drug  store  some  ^-in. 
adhesive  plaster  and  a  small  bot- 
tle of  alcohol  shellac.  From  the 
plaster  I  cut  three  strips  long 
enough  to  go  around  the  core  of 
twine  on  the  reel  and  lap  ^  or 
^2  inch.  I  put  one  strip  around 
the  core  at  each  side  of  the  reel 
and  let  it  lap  up  about  1/64  of  an 
inch  on  the  sides.  The  other  strip 
I  put  right  in  the  center  of  the 
spool  and  it  overlaps  the  two 
side  ones.  Then  I  coat  this  care- 
fully with  the  shellac  and  after 
an  hour  or  so  give  it  another 
coat.  That  makes  a  good  solid 
waterproof  core,  but  it  can  be  re- 
moved or  changed  with  little  or 
no  trouble.  A  coat  of  shellac 
can  be  applied  at  any  time  and 
makes  it  good  as  new.  This  can 
be  done  just  as  easily  on  a  solid 
reel  as  on  a  take  down  model 
without  taking  anything  apart  for 
fitting. 

Now  just  a  word  on  saving  a 
little  work  when  drying  lines. 
Any  hardware  store  will  sell  you 
enough  brass  screw  hooks  for  5c 
to  rig  up  a  good  outfit.  Select 
hooks  without  sharp  points.  Find 
in  your  home  a  space  between  two 
doors  or  windows  on  the  same 


wall  and  screw  in  a  hook  on  the 
casing  of  each.  If  you  are  using 
more  than  one  line,  set  a  pair  of 
hooks  for  each  one.  My  win- 
dows are  in  a  hallway  eighteen 
feet  apart  and  it  takes  only  a  few 
turns  t>ack  and  forth  to  wind  a 
line  on  or  off  the  reel.  The  hooks 
are  not  unsightly  and  if  made  of 
small  stock  will  hardly  show  a 
mar  on  the  wood  when  necessary 
to  take  them  out.  I  generally 
use  a  light  and  a  heavy  rod  and 
my  wife  usually  fishes  with  me,  so 
I  have  three  sets  of  drying  hooks, 
and  every  time  I  use  them  I  smile 
to  think  of  the  miles  I  used  to 
walk  around  chairs  and  other  fool 
things  drying  lines. 

TROLLING  FOR  CALICOES 

BY  IRA  DINTAMAN 
Here  is  a  kink  that  the  brothers 
will  find  handy  when  trolling  for 
the  Calico,  Strawberry  or  White 
Bass.  Take  any  kind  of  a  rod  up- 
wards of  nine  feet  long  (the 
longer  the  better),  and  swing  out 
your  line  a  foot  or  eighteen  inches 
longer  than  the  rod.  Attach  your 
sinker  about  four  feet  from  the 
end  of  the  rod.  Use  a  No.  20 
Cincinnati  bass  hook.  For  bait 
cut  about  an  inch  and  a  half  from 
the  tail  end  of  a  small  perch  or 
blue  gill.  Split  this  lengthwise 
so  as  to  leave  one-half  of  the  tail 
fin  on  each  piece.  Run  the  hook 
through  the  larger  end  of  the 
piece.  Now  you  are  ready  to 
troll. 

Set  your  rod  across  your  knees 
so  that  it  reaches  up  and  back  at 


KINKS    OF   ALL    KINDS 


125 


an  angle  of  about  20  degrees  or 
the  pitch  of  an  ordinary  shed 
roof.  The  lead  sinker  should  be 
about  six  or  eight  inches  above 
the  surface  of  the  water,  causing 
the  line  to  hang  straight  down. 
This  is  one  of  the  chiefest  rea- 
sons for  the  success  of  this  kink. 
Row  slowly  along  near  the  edge 
of  the  weeds.  When  the  fish 
strikes  he  first  takes  up  the  slack 
that  the  hanging  lead  gives  him 
and  by  the  time  this  is  gone  he 


not  wear  out  more  than  eight  or 
nine  tails  for  bait.  One  can  also 
employ  angleworms  as  bait  in  the 
same  manner,  hooking  the  worms 
but  once  through  the  middle  of 
the  body.  The  boat  should  be 
moved  along  very  slowly,  just 
keeping  the  bait  in  motion.  A 
paddle  can  be  profitably  used  in 
place  of  oars  and  two  people  can 
readily  fish  from  the  same  boat 
by  this  method,  with  equal 
success. 


has  hooked  himself.  Now  is  the 
most  critical  moment.  Do  not 
jerk  to  set  the  hook.  If  you  do 
you  will  lose  nine  out  of  ten 
fish.  These  fishes  have  very  ten- 
der mouths  and  the  hooks  tear 
out  most  readily  unless  they  are 
carefully  handled.  Just  lead  the 
fish  gently  to  the  side  of  the  boat 
and  lift  him  quickly  in.  These 
little  fellows  are  really  quite  gamy 
in  proportion  to  their  size  and 
their  tender  mouth  makes  land- 
ing them  quite  a  sporting  propo- 
sition. 

I  have  caught  as  high  as  fifty- 
five  of  these  fish  in  one  afternoon 
by  the  use  of  this  kink  and  did 


A  FISH   SAVER 

By  L.  J.  BOUGHNER 
Slip  into  your  tackle  box  a  piece 
of  shoemaker's  wax  the  size  of  a 
hazelnut    and    half    a    dozen    feet 
of   silk   thread.      When   ready  to 


bait  up,  wax  four  inches  of  the 
end  of  your  line  and  about  a  foot 
of  the  thread.  Slip  half  the 
waxed  end  through  the  Cooper 
snap  and  double  it  back  to  form  a 
loop.  Hook  the  snap  over  a 
handy  projection,  and  wind  the 
thread  about  the  upper  end  of  the 
loop,  holding  the  line  in  your 
left  hand  and  using  your  left 
fore-finger  to  hold  the  turns. 
Wind  back  and  forth  for  about 
half  an  inch  pulling  the  thread 
tight  at  each  turn  but  making 
no  attempt  at  smoothness,  and 
fasten  the  thread  with  a  half 
hitch.  The  wax  is  waterproof. 
This  little  kink  will  add  a  third 


126 


KINKS    OF    ALL    KINDS 


to  the  strength  of  your  line,  or 
enable  you  to  use  a  lighter  line 
than  formerly,  with  a  consequent 
saving  of  expense  and  gain  in 
ease  of  casting. 

If  you  want  to  know  why,  make 
this  experiment. 

Fasten  your  favorite  line  to  a 
Cooper  snap  and  hook  it  on  a 
spring  scale.  Take  two  or  three 
turns  in  the  line  a  foot  or  so  away 
and  pull  steadily.  The  line  will 
break  at  about  the  rated  test. 
Twelve  tests  on  a'  new  8-pound 
No.  6  line  will  give  an  average 
of  about  8^4  pounds. 

Now  make  a  loop  as  advised 
above  (^ime,  one  minute)  and  re- 
peat the  experiment.  The  scale 
will  show  7^ — 8 — &/2 — whoops  ! 
9 — whee!  9^ — what  do  you  know 
about  that?  10 — well,  I'll  be 
darned,  10^2 — oh,  she  breaks, 
somewhere  between  10>2  and  11 
pounds.  Twelve  tests  on  the  same 
new  line  will  average  about  10^ 
pounds. 

The  interesting  point  in  these 
experiments  is  that  in  the  first  the 
line  invariably  breaks  at  the  knot. 
The  tension  at  which  it  breaks 
has  a  range  of  a  pound,  owing 
to  differences  in  applying  the 
strain,  but  the  break  is  always 
at  the  knot.  In  the  second  test, 
however,  the  break  occurs  at  no 
well-defined  spot.  Sometimes  it 
is  near  the  loop,  sometimes  near 
the  other  end. 

A  moment's  thought  gives  the 
reason.  Just  as  a  rod  breaks  at 
the  ferrule,  because  of  the  ab- 
sence of  elasticity,  so  the  line 


breaks  at  the  knot,  where  it  is 
bound.  Making  a  waxed  loop,  in- 
stead of  a  knot,  retains  the  elas- 
ticity of  the  line  to  a  certain  ex- 
tent, and  compensates  for  what  is 
lost  by  doubling  the  line.  One- 
piece  rods  and  serrated  ferrules, 
though  expensive,  justify  them- 
selves by  adding  elasticity,  abolish- 
ing the  knot  in  the  line  does  the 
same  thing.  A  tight  knot  puts 
two  or  three  pounds  strain  on 
the  line  at  least.  The  pull  of 
the  fish  soon  adds  enough  to 
break  the  line.  Relieve  every  part 
of  the  line  of  artificial  strain,  and 
you  have  two  or  three  pounds 
more  for  the  fish.  And  two  or 
three  pounds  is  the  difference  be- 
tween the  fish  you've  been  catch- 
ing and  the  ones  that  got  away. 


SAVING  SNAGGED  BAITS 

BY  JOHN  T.  MITCHELL 
Since  acquiring  the  knowledge 
from  an  old  bait-caster,  I  have 
never  gone  out  without  a  consid- 
erable length  of  heavy  cord 
(preferably  chalk  line)  in  the  bag 
I  carry  over  my  shoulder  while 
casting.  A  flat  rock  tied  to  the 
end  of  the  heavy  line  has  saved 
many  an  expensive  plug,  which 
otherwise  would  be  dangling  from 
an  inaccessible  branch  or  snag. 


PIG   TAILS   FOR   BASS 

BY  A.  H.  STERN 

Here  is  a  kink  for  bass  fishing 
I  was  going  to  send  you  some 
time  ago,  but  it  slipped  my  mind 


KINKS    OF    ALL    KINDS 


127 


until  I  saw  your  Kink  Contest  in 
the   August  book. 

I  use  a  pig  tail,  either  fresh  or 
corned,  which  can  be  had  at  any 
meat  dealer  for  a  few  cents,  and 
four  No.  22  or  24  eyed  hooks. 
Fasten  a  hook  about  one  inch 


pork  is  bent  a  little  and  tie  the 
yarn  on  the  tail  as  per  sketch. 

You  will  find  that  your  bait 
will  wabble,  dive  and  give  several 
varieties  of  tango  movements  that 
take  the  eye.  It  acts  like  a  min- 
now that  is  hurt;  wiggles,  dives 


from  the  tip  or  small  end  and  the 
others  divided  equally  apart.  The 
best  way  to  fasten  them  is  to  tie 
with  small  size  fishing  line  around 
the  tail.  Then  join  all  of  these 
with  a  line  up  each  side  to  the  top 
of  the  tail,  but  not  too  tight,  as 
this  would  not  let  the  tail  be  free 
to  wobble  like  an  eel.  This  bait 
can  be  kept  in  water  after  being 
used  for  a  whole  season.  It  was 
used  by  an  old  bass  fisherman 
for  years.  Use  only  the  small 
taper  part  of  the  tail. 


and  makes  other  foolish  moves. 
I  have  tried  it  out  and  find  it 
good.  Got  on  to  it  by  accidentally 
pulling  the  yarn  too  tight  on  one 
that  I  made. 


ANOTHER  PORK  RIND 
STUNT 

BY  ED.  J.  SENBERTH 

Take  a  piece  of  pork  rind  and 

shape  to  as  near  a  minnow  as  you 

can.      Then    take    red   yarn,    loop 

Tied  tfcr< 


LIVE   TROUT   WHEN   YOU 
WANT  THEM 

BY  F.   MACKEY 

It  was  my  pleasure  to  spend 
three  months  of  1912  and  the  same 
length  of  time  in  1913  camping 
on  the  shore  of  beautiful  Lake 
Alice,  hidden  in  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains of  British  Columbia.  The 
fishing  was  uncertain,  as  it  is  on 
many  lakes,  but  both  the  writer 
and  his  pal,  "Bob,"  were  fish 
eaters.  (Bob,  by  the  way,  is  my 
pointer  dog.)  So  it  occurred  to 
me  that  if  I  could  keep  my  fish 
alive  I  could  have  fish  for  camp 


it  over  or  around  the  neck  and 
then  stick  it  toward  the  tail,  in 
and  out,  say,  three  times.  Then 
pull  the  yarn  a  bit  so  that  the 


when  they  were  not  disposed  to 
rise  to  the  fly.  And  this  is  how  I 
did  it: 

I      purchased      ten     yards      of 


128 


KINKS    OF   ALL    KINDS 


chicken  wire  netting  and  packed  it 
into  camp.  Then  I  cut  cedar 
poles  about  three  inches  through 
for  my  posts.  These  were  four 
feet  high.  The  side  pieces  I 
made  five  feet  long,  the  same  size 
through.  The  ends  were  three 
feet.  After  squaring  them  at  the 
ends,  so  they  would  fit  nicely,  I 
spiked  them  together.  I  now  had 
my  frame,  and  it  was  only  neces- 
sary to  fasten  my  chicken  netting 
around  this  frame  and  my  tank 
was  completed. 

I  selected  a  nice  sandy  spot 
under  the  shade  of  a  pine  tree 
and  let  my  fish  tank  down  in 
about  two  and  a  half  feet  of 
water  in  the  lake  at  my  tent  door. 
In  order  to  have  my  fish  in  good 
condition  for  the  home  that  they 
would  have  for  the  rest  of  their 
existence,  I  made  two  baskets  of 
the  same  material  by  weaving  the 
wire  together  at  the  sides  and 
end.  Then  when  that  was  done, 
I  pushed  it  into  the  shape  of  a 
barrel.  This  I  kept  at  the  end  of 
my  raft,  half  submerged  in  the 
water.  When  I  hooked  a  fish  of 
a  size  to  keep,  and  his  gills  had 
not  been  affected  by  the  fly  hook, 
he  was  put  in  the  basket.  I  could 
have  my  evening  fishing  without 
having  occasion  to  visit  my  tank 
until  the  sport  was  over.  My  fish 
(did  well  and  were  quite  con- 
tented in  their  home.  They  af- 
forded me  great  pleasure  watch- 
ing them  rising  to  the  insects  that 
dropped  on  the  water,  and  they 
also  ate  heartily  of  any  grubs  or 
worms  I  happened  to  throw  in  to 


them.  I  learned  many  things 
about  trout  that  I  never  knew  be- 
fore, and  it  certainly  helped  me 
in  my  study  of  this  "king"  of 
lake  fish.  The  trout  likes  plenty 
of  shade,  so  be  sure  and  have  one 
end  of  your  tank  covered  with 
boughs.  When  removing  fish 
from  your  tank  use  the  landing 
net  and  do  it  carefully,  so  as  not 
to  cause  too  much  disturbance  in 
the  tank,  as  your  fish  may  injure 
themselves  on  the  wire  and  be- 
come diseased.  I  had  as  many  as 
seventy  fish  in  my  tank  at  one 
time,  some  weighing  as  heavy  as 
two  pounds. 

PACKING  PLUGS 

BY  T.  E.  DROHAN 
The  wood  and  pasteboard  boxes 
that  artificial  wooden  baits  are 
sold  in,  take  up  too  much  room 
in  the  ordinary  bait  caster's  out- 
fit. Yet  if  he  leaves  one  single 
"plug"  hole  he  is  almost  sure  to 
regret  it.  I  have  been  in  that  fix 
myself. 

Now,  however,  I  take  plenty 
on  every  trip.  I  discard  the 
boxes  and  roll  the  plug  in  a  piece 
of  white  oil  cloth  such  as  used  for 
covering*  pantry  shelves,  use  a 
piece  about  7  by  14  inches  and 
snap  a  rubber  band  on  it.  In  this 
way  I  am  able  to  pack  twenty 
plugs  and  spoons,  besides  one  reel, 
a  pair  of  pliers,  a  file,  disgorger 
and  a  small  bottle  of  3  in  1  oil  in 
my  No.  2  Gem  tackle  box.  On 
the  cloth  side  is  labeled  in  ink  the 
name  of  each  bait,  so  that  they 
can  be  readily  found  and  the 


KINKS   OF   ALL   KINDS 


129 


wrapping  is  done  so  as  to  leave 
the  label  in  view — a  very  simple 
matter. 

The  oil  cloth  will  last  a  long 
time  and  is  very  cheap,  and  I 
hope  that  others  in  the  fraternity 
will  find  it  as  practical  and  satis- 
factory as  I  have. 


THE     NATURAL     BAIT 
WOBBLER 

BY  E.  R.  ACRES 
If   you    ever   happen   to   be   in 
need  of  a  wobbler  that  will  wob- 
ble and  that  a  bass  will  swallow, 
try   this  kink.     If   he  misses   the 


BOOK,  the  above  quotation  sug- 
gested that  I  might  stretch  a  point 
in  telling  my  pet  way  of  handling 
— not  the  bait — but  the  fish. 

While  this  little  trick,  which  I 
have  used  with  much  success,  may 
be  very  old  to  a  great  many  of 
my  brother  fishermen,  I  have  yet 
to  find  the  man  who  claimed  to 
be  able  to.  stop  fish  from  "break- 
ing water."  That's  my  trick,  or 
at  least  I  think  it  is. 

How  often,  Oh,  fisherman!  has 
your  heart  "stopped  beating"  as 
some  wily  old  bass,  or  perhaps 
he  was  a  trout,  leaped  into  the 
air  and  shook  himself  from  head 


first  time  and  you  stop  reeling, 
he  will  charge  it  like  mad.  Take 
a  chub  or  round-bodied  small  fish 
and  cut  in  the  manner  shown  in 
the  diagram. 

If  yotu  want  to  fish  in  the 
weeds,  reverse  the  hook.  By  the 
way,  this  will  work  well  with  rain- 
bow trout  if  you  use  a  wobbler 
about  one  and  one-half  inches 
long  and  do  not  cut  at  as  steep 
an  angle.  _______ 

HOLDING    'EM     DOWN 

By  RUSH   McFARLAND 

"Some  pet  way  of  handling  a 
bait,  etc.," — 

When  reading  of  your  Kink 
Contest  in  March  issue  of  OUTER'S 


to  tail  in  his  mighty  effort  to  free 
himself  of  the  hook.  And  that 
same  old  heart  did  not  get  to 
pumping  again  until  you  had 
strained  your  rod  almost  to  the 
breaking  point  to  keep  from  giv- 
ing "slack"  and  you  found  that 
the  fight  was  still  on. 

Let's  see  if  you  can't  agree 
with  me  that  my  pet  scheme  is  not 
better  than  inviting  any  lapse  of 
heart  action. 

After  striking  your  fish  as  soon 
as  the  battle  is  on,  dip  the  tip  of 
your  rod  into  the  water  and  keep 
it  there  until  you  have  brought 
your  fish  to  net.  Keep  plenty  of 
"bow"  in  your  rod,  of  course,  but 
you'll  find  that  it  is  not  the  spring 


130 


KUvTKS    OF   ALL   KINDS 


of  the  rod  that's  tiring  your  fish 
so  much  as  the  friction  of  line  and 
water,  hence  you  are  not  only 
eliminating  the  possibility  of  fre- 
quent leaping  of  the  fish,  but  you 
are  going  to  net  him  in  much  less 
time. 

In  keeping  the  tip  of  your  rod 
submerged  your  fish  has  possibly, 
under  certain  conditions,  as  much 
as  ten  or  even  twenty  times  the 
amount  of  line  to  "tote"  through 
the  water  as  when  the  rod  is  held 
nearly  perpendicular.  This  when 
your  fish  is  describing  the  arc  of 
a  circle  or  speeding  along  laterally 
to  the  angler's  position,  means  ex- 


But  try  it  out  yourself,  brother 
sportsman.  If  it  works  for  you, 
why  then  it's  a  good  kink;  if  not, 
it's  no  kink  at  all. 

THE  SHOE-EYELET 
AGATE 

BY  J.  H.  COMMISKEY 

Would  like  to  tell  worthy 
brothers  what  happened  to  me  on 
my  fishing  trip  a  short  time  ago. 
I  was  out  bright  and  early  one 
fine  morning  and  had  only  got 
started  when  the  agate  tip  on  my 
rod  broke.  While  rowing  back  to 
camp  I  hit  upon  the  following 


tra  weight  or  tension  on  the  fish 
without  increasing  the  strain  on 
the  rod  or  endangering  the  break- 
ing strength  of  the  line. 

When  the  rod  is  held  perpendic- 
ularly, or  nearly  so,  the  tendency 
is  to  bring  or  hold  the  fish  near 
the  surface.  The  pull  being  al- 
ways toward  the  surface,  is  it  any 
wonder  that  the  fish  will  occa- 
sionally "break  water"  when  so 
ably  assisted  in  his  leaps  by  the 
angler  himself?  But  if  your 
fish  be  made  to  "tote,"  say, 
fifty  feet  of  line  or  more  to 
and  above  the  surface,  I  think 
that  you  will  find  that  his  leaps 
will  not  be  frequent,  but  as  I 
contend,  eliminated  entirely. 


kink:  I  took  an  eyelet  out  of  my 
boot  and  fastened  it  securely 
where  the  agate  had  been,  and  I 
used  that  same  tip  during  entire 
trip. 

TAPE   FOR  REEL   SEATS 

BY  G.  W.  RUSSELL 
My  reel  used  often  to  loosen  by 
the  slipping  of  the  rings  which 
held  it  in  place.  I  have  seen 
others  have  this  trouble  also ;  and 
what  is  more  distressing,  it  us- 
ually occurs  just  when  you  have 
set  the  hook  in  that  big  one. 

To  prevent  this  trouble  I  use 
half-inch  electricians'  tape  on  the 
reel  seat.  I  set  the  reel  in  place 


KINKS    OF   ALL   KINDS 


131 


and  push  the  rings  up  firmly. 
Then  I  lash  all  in  place  with  the 
tap  which  is  wound  on  in  the 
form  of  a  figure  8.  The  tape  will 


hold  under  all  conditions,  and  is 
very  easily  removed  at  the  end 
of  the  day. 


AN  EYED  FLY  BOX 

BY  E.  P.  COOK,  M.  D. 

I  sent  away  and  got  a  box  for 

eyed  flies,  and  such  a  monstrosity 

as   it  was — more  of  a  load  than 

the  fish   on   many  trips.     I   knew 


t 


what  I  wanted,  but  could  find 
nothing  of  the  sort  advertised.  So 
I  set  about  it  to  make  one.  A  die- 
carded  watercolor  paint  box,  such 
as  the  children  have  at  school, 


furnished  just  the  right  thing  as 
,  to  box.  The  inside  of  this  box 
was  painted  with  waterproof 
white  enamel  to  prevent  rusting. 
Next,  sections  of  corks  were  glued 
to  the  inside,  as  drawings  show, 
and  the  thing  was  done.  Figs. 
1  and  2  show  the  box  closed,  5j4 
inches  long,  2%  inches  wide,  y*, 


inch  thick.  Will  hold  twenty-five 
or  thirty  flies.  Slip  easily  into  a 
vest  pocket. 


ROD  CASE  AND  TRIPOD 

BY  GEORGE  A.  WIGGAN 
Having  for  several  years  com- 
bined fishing  and  photography, 
and  being  addicted  to  delicate 
bait  rods  and  time  exposures,  I 
began  to  look  round  for  a  light, 
portable  rod  case,  and  the  ditto 
in  a  tripod. 

The  rod  case  came  first.  I  had 
already  used  a  leather  case — too 
heavy;  bamboo — too  bulky;  fibre 
— a  mortal  foe  to  wet.  What  was 
I  to  do?  No  other  style  of  case 
that  I  could  find  was  made.  An- 


132 


KINKS   OF   ALL    KINDS 


swer,  think  it  over  and  make  one. 
The  tripod  presented  like  troubles. 
Wood  ones  were  bulky  and  the 
three-legged  metal  ones  were  a 
load  in  themselves. 

The  solution  to  the  tripod  came 
first.  A  party  of  surveyors  gave 
me  the  hunch.  If  a  compass 
could  be  kept  steady  enough  on  a 
single  rod,  why  not  a  camera.  I 
straightway  went  to  the  nearest 
photo  supply  place  and  was 
promptly  rebuked  by  the  clerk  for 
thinking  that  such  a  thing  as  a 
one-legged  tripod  existed.  The 
idea!  So  back  to  the  workshop 
to  plan  one  of  my  own  I  went. 

Let's  see,  the  tripod  ought  to 
be  about  three  feet  long  to  be 
portable;  long  enough  for  all  pur- 
poses. Three  feet — somehow  those 
words  stuck  to  my  mind.  What 
was  three  feet?  I  looked  around. 
There  in  its  case  stood  my  pet 
Heddon.  Why,  of  course;  that 
rod  was  just  about  three  feet 
when  taken  down.  Why  not  com- 
bine the  two?  So  far,  so  good. 
But  what  material  would  answer 
all  that  I  required?  My  friend, 
the  tin  smith,  when  called  into 
consultation,  said  he  could  fix  me 
up  with  a  piece  of  heavy,  retinned 
tin,  and  that  he  could  make  a  case 
out  of  it  to  fit  my  rod  and  I 
could  work  out  my  salvation  for 
the  camera  as  best  might  appear. 

In  due  time  the  case  arrived. 
It  was  just  large  enough  for  two 
tips  to  fit  in  on  either  side  of  the 
butt.  The  handle  fitted  in  nicely. 
On  the  bottom  the  tinsmith  had 
put  a  spiked  ferrule  so  that  it 


could  be  stuck  into  the  ground. 
The  top  he  fixed  up  with  a  screw- 
on  cap.  Good  for  the  rod  but  no 
place  for  the  camera.  The  screw- 
on  part  of  a  discarded  tripod  was 
commandeered  and  a  hole  bored 
in  the  case  top.  The  screw  was 
soldered  in  and  when  it  was  done 
made  a  solid  place  to  fasten  the 
camera  to. 

The  whole  thing  was  about 
three  feet  six  inches  long  and 
about  an  inch  and  a  quarter 
across.  Empty,  it  weighed  a 
trifle  over  a  pound.  The  rod  was 
protected  perfectly  and  I  had  a 
solid  rest  for  my  camera  and  it 
carried  as  easily  as  the  rod  alone 
and  was  just  about  right  for  a 
walking  stick. 


SHRIMP  BAIT  IN  FRESH 
WATER 

BY  GEO.  C.   SHUPEE 

I  do  not  know  if  this  "kink"  is 
of  any  value,  but  I  have  found 
that  I  could  catch  fish  with  it 
where  others  have  failed  with 
other  baits.  It  may  not  be  new 
and  others  may  know  of  it,  but 
it  has  always  been  new  when  I 
sprung  it. 

Take  fresh  salt  water  shrimp 
and  leave  it  out  in  sun  till  it  turns 
a  delicate  pink,  say  from  two  to 
five  hours,  depending  on  how  hot 
the  sun  is  (if  you  have  a  distance 
to  go,  your  bait  will  generally  be 
ready  by  the  time  you  get  there). 
One  bait  constitutes  a  single  joint, 
or  knuckle,  impaled  upon  your 
favorite  hook  or  spinner,  and  if 


FT' 


KINKS    OF    ALL    KINDS 


133 


there  are  any  fish  in  the  water 
they  are  yours. 

It  will  have  a  very  strong  odor 
which  some  might  object  to,  but 
a  dip  in  the  water  removes  this 
to  some  extent.  The  meat  will 
be  a  clear  white,  ideal  bass  bait, 
and  as  I  have  learned,  fish  bite 
by  smell  and  sight,  and  not  by 
taste,  the  odor  draws  them,  espe- 
cially bottom  feeding  fish,  and  the 
clear  white  is  the  tempting  mor- 
sel for  Mr.  Bass.  I  have  also 
used  it  successfully  for  speckled 
trout. 

As  an  illustration :  A  friend 
and  I  went  to  his  ranch  on  the 
river  near  here  (San  Antonio, 
Tex.)  He  said  he  knew  where 
the  fishing  was  good,  so  all  I  had 
to  do  was  follow  him.  I  picked 
out  a  likely  hole  and  began  to 
cast  with  my  shrimp  bait.  He 
had  snails  and  grasshoppers.  He 
told  me  to  come  with  him,  that  I 
would  catch  none  where  I  was, 
but  I  told  him  I  would  see  him 
later.  It  was  then  about  7  a.  m. 
About  9  a.  m.  he  returned  with 
one  three-pound  channel  cat.  I 
had  run  out  of  bait  and  had 
thirty-eight  fish,  all  running 
from  two  pounds  to  four  pounds. 
He  had  lived  and  fished  there  for 
three  years,  and  it  was  my  first 
trip — I  lay  it  all  to  the  bait,  as  I 
find  that  it  will  work  as  well 
elsewhere. 

The  meat  is  firm  and  stays  on 
the  hook  well,  and  answers  every 
purpose  of  pork  rind  on  spinners. 
Please,  however,  do  not  confuse 
with  canned  or  dried  shrimp, 


neither  of  which  seems  to  work 
at  all.  If  you  should  be  going  for 
two  or  four  weeks,  five  to  ten 
pounds  will  be  sufficient.  All  I 
ever  do  is  to  leave  it  in  a  per- 
forated can  in  the  stream  and 
use  as  needed,  and  the  longer  it 
is  kept  the  better  it  is. 

I  hope  this  will  enable  some 
brother  slave  of  Isaak  Walton  to 
realize  his  desires. 


"NOTHIN'   BUT   GLUE" 

BY  D.  B.  TOLLEY 

I  believe  that  most  users  of 
the  wooden  rod  will  agree  with 
me  in  saying  that  the  tying  of  an 
invisible  knot  at  the  end  of  each 
wind  when  wrapping  such  a  rod 
is  a  nuisance;  to  some  an  almost 
intolerable  nuisance.  One  winds 
good  and  tight  and  closely  and 
then  lets  the  silk  slip  at  the  finish 
and  spoils  the  whole  thing. 

A  few  years  ago  I  wound  a 
rod  spirally,  and  in  the  course  of 
time  the  varnish  became  scratched 
and  the  silk  broken.  I  did  not 
relish  the  thought  of  rewinding 
my  service  rod  in  summer,  so  just 
applied  some  varnish  to  the  scratch 
and  kept  on  using  it.  The  silk, 
held  by  the  varnish,  did  not  start 
a  trifle.  That  made  me  wonder 
why  a  knot  was  necessary  at  all. 

The  next  time  a  rod  was  wound 
I  used  glue  to  hold  the  end  until 
the  varnish  had  set.  I  used  the 
kind  of  glue  which  must  be  heated 
to  reduce  from  a  solid  to  a  liquid, 
and,  believe  me,  it  worked.  I 
coated  the  last  few  laps  of  each 
wind  with  glue  (roughly),  wound 


134 


KINKS    OF   ALL    KINDS 


them  and  applied  a  smear  of  glue 
to  the  finish,  keeping  the  silk  tight 
the  while.  I  then  snipped  the  silk 
and  removed  the  surplus  glue  with 
a  piece  of  chamois.  That  finish 
was  ideal,  almost  invisible  and 
very  tight.  The  glue  hardened 
so  quickly  that  I  could  go  right 
on  winding  without  having  the 
glue  let  go  because  of  a  little 
handling.  The  varnish  obliterates 
any  stain  left  on  the  silk  by  the 
glue. 

My  glue  pot  certainly  saved  me 
time  and  trouble  last  spring  and 
yours  will,  to,  if  you'll  only  let  it, 
Brother  Angler. 

THE  BOTTLE  CAP  FISH 
SCALER 

BY  THOMAS  MALONEY 
A  very  practical  little  device  for 
removing  fish  scales  can  be  made 
by  taking  a  beer  bottle  cap  (the 
sharp,  scalloped-edge  type  illus- 
trated in  accompanying  diagram) 


and  a  short  piece  of  wood,  capable 
of  serving  as  a  handle.  The  cap 
should  then  be  tacked  on  one  end 
of  the  handle,  driving  the  nail 
through  the  under  part  of  the 
handle,  then  bending  over  on  top 
to  fasten  more  securely.  The  re- 
sult is  a  very  serviceable  little 
sealer. 


A  CRICKET  "FARM" 

BY  W.  J.  FRITZ 

The  following  kink  will,  I  trust, 
save  many  a  physical  kink  in  the 
back  of  those  Sons  of  Walton 
who  are  always  prowling  around 
looking  for  live  bait,  such  as 
crickets,  grasshoppers  and  the 
like.  Its  discoverey  was  purely 
acidental,  but  it  has  saved  me 
many  a  valuable  hour  of  fishing 
time,  and  what  can  be  more  prec- 
ious than  that  to  an  angler? 

For  a  long  time  there  lay  in 
our  back  yard  the  trunk  of  an 
old  plum  tree.  Its  function  was 
supposedly  as  a  base  for  running 


vines,  which  (under  the  subse- 
quent circumstances)  I  am  glad 
to  say,  refused  to  "run."  One 
day,  after  a  stretch  of  wet 
weather,  an  old  carpet  used  as 
a  door  mat  was  thrown  over  the 
plum  trunk  to  dry.  On  removing 
it  some  time  later  I  was  sur- 
prised to  find  beneath  it  about  two 


KINKS    OF    ALL    KINDS 


135 


dozen  large,  black  crickets.  The 
damp,  cool  place,  together  with 
the  rough  bark,  evidently  afforded 
them  an  excellent  hiding  place, 
which  they  had  promptly  adopted 
as  a  home.  Crickets  being  at 
that  time  a  seasonable  bait,  my 
surprise  was  a  pleasant  one. 


in  certain  little  eddies  and  no  way 
to  catch  them?  That's  what  hap- 
pened to  me  on  several  trips  until 
I  made  a  net  out  of  minnow  seine 
to  carry  in  my  pocket. 

And  this  is  how  I  made  it: 
First,  I  cut  a  piece  of  seine  about 
16  in.  wide  by  24  in.  long.  Both 


Now  that  cricket  home  has  be- 
come permanent.  I  brought  the 
tree  trunk  closer  to  the  house  and 
placed  it  near  the  cistern.  I  keep 
it  covered  with  a  couple  of  old 
gunny  sacks,  over  which  I  oc- 
casionally douse  a  bucket  of 
water.  Whenever  the  bass  down 
at  the  pond  telegraph  that  they 
would  like  a  few  crickets  for  sup- 
per, all  I  do  is  to  pick  up  one 
corner  of  my  sacks  and  gather 
as  many  as  needed,  in  a  minute 
or  two.  

A  HANDY  MINNOW  NET 

BY  HARRY  E.  SMITH 

Were  you  ever  fishing  when  the 

trout  wouldn't  take  a  fly  or  when 

it    was    desirable    to    have    some 

minnows;  with  thousands  of  them 


sides  of  this  I  bound  with  strips 
of  muslin  about  3  in.  wide,  mak- 
ing loops  or  hems  through  which 
the  handle  could  be  pushed,  as 
shown  in  Fig.  1. 

Next,    I   doubled   the   hems    or 
loops    together    and    stitched    the 


rear  end  together  about  half  way 
to  loops,  as  shown  in  Fig.  2.  This 
gives  us  a  sort  of  scoop  shovel 
shape  net  which  only  lacks  the 
handle  and  can  be  folded  into  a 
very  small  space. 

The  handle  is  cut  from  almost 
any  convenient  bush  or  tree  in  the 
shape  of  a  crotched  stick  with  the 
branches  as  long  as  the  loops  on 


136 


KINKS    OF   ALL    KINDS 


the  net.  These  may  be  sprung 
together  and  slipped  into  the  loops 
and  the  net  is  ready  for  business, 
as  shown  in  Fig.  3. 

It  can  be  carried  almost  as 
easily  as  a  pocket  handkerchief 
and  may  help  us  to  a  basket  of 
trout  when  their  appetites  call  for 
minnows.  ^_______ 

A   GOOD   SINKER  FOR 
TROUT  FISHING 

BY  FRANK  E.  WILDER 

I  have  used  a  Kink  which 
works  very  well  in  any  stream 
when  fishing  with  worms.  This 
is  especially  effective  in  streams 
which  are  frequently  fished  and 
where  the  trout  are  wise. 

Most  everyone  knows  that  to 
make  the  bait  look  like  worms 
which  have  naturally  fallen  into 
the  stream,  you  let  your  hook, 
which  is  well  baited  with  worms, 
drift  down  the  stream  before  you 
and  you  don't  use  a  sinker.  There 
is  one  objection  to  this  mode  of 
fishing,  which  is,  that  you  can't 
get  to  fish  the  deep  holes  where 
there  is  a  current,  and  that  is  the 
very  place  where  the  big  ones  lie. 

To  get  down  in  these  holes  and 
still  have  your  bait  look  lifelike, 
tightly  roll  a  piece  of  tinfoil, 
which  is  about  three-quarters  of 
an  inch  square,  around  your  line 
just  above  your  leader  or  about 
six  or  eight  inches  from  your 
hook. 

If  no  tinfoil  -can  be  found, 
melt  a  little  lead  and  pour  it  on 
some  smooth  surface  from  a 
height  of  five  feet.  While  pour- 


ing, keep  the  dish  in  motion  so 
that  the  lead  will  not  fall  in  the 
same  spot,  and  the  lead  will  flat- 
ten out  in  little  pieces  about  as 
large  as  a  penny. 

When  using  one  of  these  sink- 
ers and  you  get  your  hook 
snagged  on  a  log  you  can  pull  the 
sinker  right  through  the  end  eye 
and  work  your  hook  loose  with 
the  tip  of  your  pole  without  dis- 
turbing the  hole. 

As  an  example,  to  show  how 
effective  this  sinker  is  in  trout 
fishing,  I  will  tell  you  about  my 
last  fishing  trip.  Three  of  us,  two 
friends  and  I,  went  fishing.  One 
of  my  friends  used  split  buck- 
shot, and  the  other  fellow  used 
no  sinker  at  all.  As  usual,  I 
used  a  piece  of  tinfoil.  As  a  re- 
sult, the  total  catch  of  my  friends 
was  three  trout,  while  I  caught 
twelve  beauties. 


WAXING    SILK    THREADS 
FOR  ROD  WINDING 

BY  JULIUS  FRANK 
For  you  who  rewind  and  you 
who  make  your  own  rods  com- 
plete, give  heed  to  an  easy  and 
effective  manner  of  waxing  your 
threads. 

Having  almost  completed  a  5- 
foot  casting  rod  of  bethabara,  I 
suddenly  remembered  that  the 
light,  gaudy  colored  threads  on  a 
split  bamboo  rod  which  I  re- 
wound last  winter  were  now  dark 
and  dull.  I  began  formulating  a 
plan  to  overcome  this  deteriora- 
tion in  the  threads.  I  knew  of  the 
time-worn  method  of  drawing  the 


KINKS    OF   ALL   KINDS 


137 


threads  through  light  colored 
bees'  wax,  but  natural  bees'  wax, 
no  matter  how  light,  always 
alters  the  color  of  the  threads 
and  only  waxes  the  surface.  Re- 
membering that  wax  is  soluble  in 
gasoline,  I  finally  decided  a 
scheme  that  not  only  preserves 
the  original  color,  but  also  "sets" 
it  permanently,  waxes  every  fiber 
in  the  thread  and  makes  it  thor- 
oughly waterproof. 

Here  is  the  method  and  for- 
mula: 

Scrape  one  ounce  of  paraffine 
with  a  knife  from  a  white  candle 
and  after  allowing  a  small  electric 
"disc:plate"  stove  to  become 
heated  disconect  it  (a  hot  laundry 
iron  propped  upside-down  will  do 
as  well).  Put  the  paraffine  in  a 
half-pint  common  drinking  cup, 
place  it  on  the  stove  and  wait  until 
the  paraffine  becomes  liquid.  Then 
add  one  ounce  of  gasolene  and 
mix  thoroughly  with  a  spoon  and 
allow  this  preparation  to  remain 
on  the  heated  stove.  Submerge 
the  vari-colored  threads  which 
should  be  previously  wound  sep- 
arately on  thin,  stiff,  white  visit- 
ing cards  cut  to  measure  1  by  3 
inches  and  then  notched  like  a 
slung-shot  stock  at  both  ends. 

Remove  the  cards  of  threads 
after  they  have  remained  in  the 
mixture  about  five  minutes.  Pierce 
the  cards  with  pins  and  hang 
them  in  a  shady  place  in  the  open 
where  the  air  can  reach  the 
threads.  Let  them  remain  sus- 
pended for  a  few  hours  and  then 
upon  examination  you  will  find 


that  the  gasoline  has  entirely 
evaporated  and  the  threads  are 
soft,  pliable  and  thoroughly  satur- 
ated with  paraffine. 

Threads  treated  in  this  manner 
make  the  rod  moisture-proof 
where  wound  and  where,  by-the- 
by,  the  varnish  does  not  touch. 

I  wish  that  you,  my  fellow  ang- 
lers, could  see  my  finished  rod. 
It  reverses  an  old  adage — My  Joy 
Forever  Is  a  Thing  of  Beauty. 

THE   KINK   OF  KINKS 

BY  JAMES  R.  ALLEN 
To  quote  a  short  passage  from 
your  kink  write-up  in  the  June 
number  of  OUTER'S,  "A  kink  is 
just  any  special  pet  trick  that  you 
make  use  of  in  your  fishing."  Ac- 
cording to  this  definition,  I  here- 
with submit  the  dandiest  little 
kink  that  ever  cavorted  before 
your  serene  vision.  I  am  a  young 
dub,  just  learning  to  get  the  hunt- 
ing and  fishing  fevers  each  fall 
and  spring.  But  I  don't  know  a 
whole  lot  about  either  hunting  or 
fishing  yet.  My  elder  brother 
(the  big  yap)  says  I'm  a  little  too 
new  to  educate  yet.  He  is  some 
sportsman.  Being  one,  he  sub- 
scribes for  OUTER'S,  of  course. 
And  here's  where  my  kink  comes 
in.  Each  month  I  sneak  into  his 
den  and  lift  his  latest  copy  of 
"The  Joy  Book."  This  little 
stunt,  together  with  subsequent 
reading  of  the  purloined  maga- 
zine's contents,  has  helped  my 
fishing  more  than  any  other  kink 
I  ever  heard  of. 
P.  S. — I  am  sitting  in  my 


138 


KINKS    OF   ALL    KINDS 


brother's  den  now,  knocking  this 
kink  out  on  his  typewriter.  I'd 
surely  get  mine  if  he  were  to  slip 
in  now  and  catch  me.  But  he's 
out  in  the  back  yard  trying  out 
his  three  new  reels,  and  he  won't 
know  anything  about  this  until 
he  sees  my  fool  name  under  the 
blackface  head  "The  Kink  of 
Kinks"  at  the  head  of  the  first 
column  of  your  announcement  of 
the  winners  for  the  month  of 
May,  and  when  he  sees  that  I  have 
grabbed  the  big  prize,  he  won't  be 
very  sore. 


about  2  feet  from  the  reel.  Screw 
the  bent  eyelet  in  the  end  and 
space  the  third  eyelet  in  the  mid- 
dle as  shown  in  the  diagram. 
Then  I  am  ready  for  the  fish. 

The  screw  eyes  want  to  be  of 
small  size  wire  so  as  not  to 
weaken  the  rod  too  much  where 
they  are  screwed  in. 

Try  this  stunt  once  and  you  will 
be  surprised  how  slick  it  works. 


EXTEMPORIZING  A  CAST- 
ING  ROD 

BY  ROGER  WILLIAMS 
I  thought  I  would  tell  you  of 
the  scheme  of  rigging  up  a  cast- 
ing rod  which  I  use  when  going 
to  the  river  after  working  hours 
and  do  not  wish  to  be  bothered 


IT  GOT  A  BIG  ONE 

BY  A.  D.  WOOD 
Last  year  on  the  Connesauga 
River,  North  Georgia,  I  had  an 
experience  that  might  possibly 
take  the  candy  in  your  contest. 
If  not,  it  may  help  some  other 
fellow  to  bring  home  "the  big 
one"  some  time. 

I  was  lucky  enough  to  catch 
plenty  of  beautiful  Rainbows  ten 
to  thirteen  inches  in  length,  but 


with  taking  tackle  along.  And 
sometimes  I  use  this  rod  when  I 
am  fishing  with  bait  and  want 
more  than  one  rod. 

All  that  is  necessary  is  a  reel 
and  three  screw  eyes,  light  weight 
with  large  eyes.  The  one  for  the 
tip  I  bend  up  so  that  it  will  be  in 
line  with  the  other  two.  I  cut  a 
Straight  stick — most  generally 
willow — about  7  feet  long.  Tie  the 
reel  in  place  with  a  short  piece 
of  cord.  Put  the  first  screw  eye 


in  several  deep,  clear  pools  there 
were  larger  fish  that  I  could  not 
induce  to  strike  at  anything.  I 
tried  minnows  without  success. 
One  day  a  mountaineer  came 
down  the  stream  fishing  with 
grasshoppers.  He  fished  with  the 
hopper  hooked  through  the  body 
and  caught  small  fish  the  same  as 
I,  but  it  gave  me  the  idea  just  the 
same. 

I  got  busy  and  caught  about  a 
dozen   big,    fat   "hoppers."     Then 


KINKS    OF   ALL    KINDS 


139 


with  a  piece  of  sewing  thread  I 
tied  a  band  around  his  body  that 
would  not  interfere  with  his 
wings  or  legs  and  ran  the  hook 
under  the  thread  so  that  it  did 
not  hurt  the  hopper  at  all.  With 
this  equipment  I  slipped  carefully 
to  one  of  the  deep  pools  and 
tossed  Mr.  Grasshopper  out  over 
the  pool.  He  tried  to  fly  and  did 
a  little.  But  the  hook  weighed 
him  down  and  in  he  went  and 
up  came  one  of  the  big  Rainbows 
I  was  after,  and  the  fight  was  on. 
I  got  this  one  O.  K.,  but  I  struck 
the  next  too  soon  and  lost  him. 
But  the  trick  worked,  and  that  is 
what  I  wanted. 


THREE    PRACTICAL    SUG- 
GESTIONS 

BY  GEORGE  A.  WIGGAN 
Anglers  who  use  eyed  flies  and 
do  not  like  to  pay  the  high  prices 
frequently   asked    for   clip   boxes, 
should  try  the  following: 

Get  a  flat  tin  tobacco  box  (not 
too  deep)  of  the  side-opening 
type.  Scrape  the  paint  off  of  this 
and  give  it  a  coat  of  tinner's  varn- 
ish. Take  some  sheet  cork  about 
a  quarter  of  an  inch  thick  and 
cut  it  into  strips  as  long  as  the 
box  is  wide  and  about  a  quarter 
of  an  inch  broad.  If  sheet  cork 
is  not  available,  the  strips  may  be 
cut  out  from  long  bottle  corks. 
Use  the  smallest  size  brads  to 
fasten  the  strips  in  place  with. 
Drive  the  brads  into  the  box 
from  the  outside.  Then  press  a 
strip  of  cork  over  the  points  and 
clinch  the  ends  of  the  brads  with 


a  tap  of  the  hammer.  Several 
dozen  eyed  flies  can  be  carried  in 
a  box  of  this  kind.  A  good  idea 
is  to  solder  a  ring  to  one  corner 
of  the  box  and  run  a  lanyard  thru 


it.  Hang  this  around  your  neck 
and  you  will  never  lose  the  box 
by  having  it  fall  out  of  your 
pocket. 

Another  good  hunch  for  eyed-fly 
users,  which  I  believe  was  men- 
tioned rvome  years  ago  in  this 
magazine,  is  to  fasten  one  of  these 
patent  finger-nail  clippers  to  a 
cheap  spring  eyeglass  holder. 
Stick  this  on  your  lapel  and  you 
will  find  it  most  handy  for  snip- 
ping off  the  ends  of  gut  after 
fastening  the  flies  to  the  leader. 

Those  who  use  minnows  may 
welcome  the  following  suggestion: 
For  several  years  we  had  great 
difficulty  in  keeping  "minnies" 
alive.  At  first  we  used  a  plain 
box  with  holes  in  it  to  allow  the 
water  to  circulate.  This  would 
work  only  in  deep  water,  because 
when  placed  in  the  shallows  the 
wash  soon  killed  the  minnows. 
And  because  these  little  fish  are 
essentially  a  shoal  water  species, 
the  pressure  of  the  deep  water 
likewise  affected  them  unfavor- 


140 


KINKS    OF   ALL   KINDS 


ably.  Then  we  tried  using  two 
boxes,  one  inside  of  the  other.  This 
worked  better  but  was  not  yet  en- 
tirely satisfactory,  altho  we  were 
on  the  right  track.  Finally  we 
discovered  that  by  tacking  a  triple 


thickness  of  cheesecloth  over  the 
windows  of  the  outside  box  the 
force  of  the  waves  was  effectively 
broken  and  the  minnows  remained 
alive  and  fresh  for  days. 

The  outer  box  should  be  about 
36  by  30  inches;  the  inner  one 
30  by  24  inches.  Nail  inch  blocks 
of  wood  between  the  boxes  to 
keep  them  apart.  The  inner  box 
should  have  two  6-inch  windows 
on  each  side  and  one  on  each  end, 
covered  with  wire  gauze.  The 
outer  box  should  have  three  win- 
dows on  each  side  and  two  on 
each  end.  Cover  these  with  wire 
gauze,  then  the  triple  layer  of 


cheesecloth  and  then  another  piece 
of  gauze.  If  you  have  ever 
bought  several  dozen  minnows  at 
night  and  found  them  all  dead 
in  the  morning,  you  will  appre- 
ciate this  box  after  a  trial. 


A  NOBLE  USE  FOR  THE 
COCKROACH 

BY  C.  E.  MOVER 

Here  is  a  kink  that  I  am  sure 
will  bring  more  pleasure  to  your 
readers  and  more  fish  to  their 
strings  than  any  you  have  ever 
published. 

It  is  a  live  bait  for  perch.  The 
bait  consists  in  a  common  cock- 
roach hooked  from  the  under  side 
with  a  .very  small  hook.  A  No. 
26  Cincinnati  bass  is  the  best  hook 
I  have  tried.  One  BB  split  shot 
for  a  sinker  and  a  porcupine  quill 
for  a  float  completes  the  best  rig 
for  perch  ever  used. 

The  roach  is  alive  and  kicks 
for  several  minutes.  He  will  live 
for  some  time  if  lifted  out  of  the 


water  so  he  can  get  air  occasion- 
ally. He  won't  stay  under  the 
water  very  long  if  there  is  a 
perch  in  sight,  and  the  largest 
perch  always  gets  to  him  first. 

Down  here  in  Arkansas  we  have 
a  small  mouth  perch  called  bream. 
He  is  just  foolish  about  roaches. 
He  averages  about  the  size  of  a 
man's  hand  and  no  fish  is  sweeter 


KINKS    OF    ALL    KINDS 


141 


when  he  comes  from  the  frying 
pan.  Roaches  are  also  good  bait 
for  croppie,  goggle  eye  perch  and 
catfish. 

I  have  known  roaches  to  sell 
for  25  cents  a  dozen.  I  recently 
caught  46  bream  which  weighed 
16  Ibs.  in  one  hour  and  a  half. 
Another  fisherman  using  red 
worms  could  not  even  get  a  bite, 
though  his  boat  was  almost  touch- 
ing mine. 

The  roaches  are  caught  in  gro- 
cery stores,  butcher  shops,  restau- 
rants, etc.  Most  anglers  use  reg- 
ular screen  wire  roach  traps, 
which  can  be  bought  at  any  hard- 
ware store,  at  25  cents  each.  Bait 
them  with  raw  potato  and  set 
where  the  roaches  pass  along  the 
walls.  They  may  also  be  caught 
in  a  slick  new  tin  pan.  Put  raw 
potato  in  the  pan  and  place  a  piece 
of  cardboard  for  them  to  walk 
up  on.  They  drop  off  into  the 
basin  and  can't  crawl  out,  and  if 
they  are  thick  you  will  have  a 
hundred  each  morning. 

They  can  be  kept  for  days  and 
weeks  if  fed  liberally  on  raw  po- 
tato. A  damp  cloth  should  be 
used  to  supply  moisture.  All  va- 
rieties of  perch  will  bite  them 
more  liberally  than  any  bait  I 
have  ever  used  and  you  very  sel- 
dom miss  your  fish. 

AN  EMERGENCY  LEADER    " 

BY  M.  A.  GURNEY 

By  tying  an  ordinary  single 
knot,  as  per  diagram ;  then 
spreading  points  b  and  c  and  pass-| 


ing  loop  D  between  them  at  point 
shown  by  arrow  and  drawing 
tight  ends  A  and  B,  you  will  have 
duplicate  of  the  editor's  "Middle 
Branch"  knot.  We  used  to  call 
this  a  half  hitch  jam  knot,  though 
I  was  mighty  glad  to  see  it  again, 
for  it  never  occurred  to  me  as 
just  the  thing  for  a  dropper  loop. 
And  even  though  others  may 


know  the  knot  (though  not  your 
own  way  of  tying  it),  I  am  sure 
bringing  this  new  use  for  it  to 
their  attention  will  be  appre- 
ciated. 

Here's  a  new  wrinkle  or  may- 
hap an  old  one;  but  I  dare  say  it 
is  young,  if  not  new,  because  the 
material  has  been  on  the  market 
but  a  few  years. 

About  three  years  ago  I  was 
fishing  near  a  town  about  the  size 
of  a  postofiice,  general  store  and 
(of  course)  a  saloon.  During  the 
day,  through  a  mishap  I  lost  every 
leader  I  had,  even  to  the  one  I 
was  using.  I  was  surely  up 
against  it.  Finally  I  mooched 
over  to  the  general  store,  but  just 
because  I  wanted  a  leader  they 
didn't  carry  them. 

That  evening  I  was  telling  my 
jtroubles  to  a  fellow  trout  fan, 
when  he  laughed  and  told  me  he 


142 


KINKS    OF   ALL   KINDS 


could  stake  me  to  10  yards  of 
emergency  leader  for  10  cents, 
and  he  did. 

From  out  of  his  tackle  box  he 
fished  a  spool  of  dental  floss. 
Yes — it's  silk — paraffined  I  guess, 
about  size  H  or  No.  6,  and  9,999 
Ibs.  test.  Maybe  a  few  pounds 
less,  but  anyway  so  strong  you,  I 
or  the  other  fellow  cannot  break 
it  without  cutting  our  hands. 

Did  I  use  it?  I  did.  And  ever 
since,  on  any  color  water,  you 
will  find  my  dental  floss  leader  at 
work.  Best  of  it  is,  any  old  or 
young  drug  store  carries  it. 
Again,  if  you  want  to  surprise 
yourself  and  are  fishing  a  stream 
where  one  cannot  cast  (it's  too 
light  for  casting),  why  tie  two  of 
the  10-yard  lengths  together  and 
use  them  as  a  line.  Hook  a  three- 
pounder  and  I'll  bet  a  nickel 
against  every  red  beauty  spot  on 
him  that  he'll  think  he's  on  the 
south  end  of  a  tow  line.  No,  he 
won't  break  it.  Come  over  where 
we  fish  and  I'll  prove  it.  Of 
course,  20  yards  or  60  feet  costs 
one  20  cents,  hence  it  might  not 
be  in  keeping  with  a  $30  Leonard. 
Still,  it's  some  leader  and  some 
line. 


THE    COTTER    PIN    EMER- 
GENCY TOP 

BY  DWIGHT  HARRIS 
One  day  while  on  a  week's  fish- 
ing trip  I  happened  to  lose  the 
tip  joint  of  my  favorite  steel  cast- 
ing rod.  As  I  did  not  want  to 
miss  a  lot  of  fun,  I  decided  to  see 
what  I  could  do  about  it.  Rum- 


maging around  in  a  box  of  old 
nails,  screws  and  other  junk,  I 
found  a  cotter  pin.  Immediately 
an  idea  came  to  me.  Fastening 
the  cotter  pin  firmly  by  the  ring 
end,  I  bent  the  shank  to  an  angle 
of  about  75  degrees.  (Fig.  1.) 


Kg  2 


Point t  Sp 


Then  I  sprung  the  points  slightly 
apart  (Fig.  2),  and  put  my  "emer- 
gency tip"  in  place.  It  really 
worked  surprisingly  well  until  I 
could  obtain  a  new  tip  joint. 

A  TROT-LINE  KINK 

BY  GEORGE  KRUMSICK 
I  take  pleasure  in  passing  on  a 
little  kink  that  I  have  found  to 
be  of  much  value  to  the  trot-line 
fisherman.  You  realize  that  the 
average  fisherman  is  not  a  fly  or 
wooden  minnow  expert  and  de- 
pends upon  the  faithful  old  trot- 
line  for  his  "meat"  when  he  pulls 
up  camp.  The  trick  I  have  dis- 
covered is  in  preparing  the  trot- 
line  staging  in  the  manner  shown 
on  the  rough  sketch  accompanying 
this  letter.  I  make  my  stagings 
twelve  inches  long,  and,  in  addi- 
tion to  trying  on  the  hook  in  the 
usual  manner,  I  split  a  wine  bot- 
tle cork  on  one  side  and  draw  the 
staging  through  it,  leaving  it 
about  four  inches  above  the  hook. 
When  the  trot-line  is  set,  the  cork 
float  holds  the  staging  off  the  bot- 


KINKS    OF   ALL    KINDS 


143 


torn  of  the  river  and  puts  the  bait 
where  it  can  move  with  the  cur- 
rent and  where  the  fish  can  see 
it.  A  trot-line  staging  fixed  in  the 
old  way  lies  flat  on  the  bottom  of 
the  river  and  often  the  minnows 
or  crawfish  used  for  bait  get  un- 
der small  rocks  or  leaves  with  the 
hook  and  fish  never  find  them,  so 
that  the  fisherman  comes  to  the 
conclusion  that  fish  are  not  biting. 
Frequently  when  minnows  are 
used  for  bait,  crawfish  chew  them 
off  and  the  fisherman  thinks  gars 
or  other  fish  have  stolen  the  bait. 
A  staging  held  up  with  the  cork 


a  thick  cushion  in  your  pack, 
which  is  always  so  full  anyway, 
is  not  to  be  thought  of.  There- 
fore, a  stuffed  seat  cushion  gen- 
erally gets  left  at  home  on  ac- 
count of  space. 

I  went  to  the  carriage  trimmer 
and  got  a  piece  of  buggy  top  and 
made  a  cushion  12  by  14  inches. 
Sewed  it  all  around  except  one 
end.  which  was  left  open,  and 
in  this  open  end  holes  were 
punched  at  intervals  for  shoe- 
string lacings.  This  now  folds 
flat  and  takes  up  only  a  little 
space,  and  when  I  get  to  my  desti- 


float  swings  free  and  every  bait 
is  visible.  Fishermen  who  will 
try  this  will  find  that  trot-line 
fishing  will  give  them  far  better 
results  than  the  old  way. 


A  BOAT  CUSHION 

BY  J.  W.  DE  LONG 
I  expect  a  good  many  who,  like 
myself,  go  fishing  for  a  couple 
of  weeks  trip  at  some  distant 
point,  find  that  a  boat  seat  gets 
awful  hard  on  the  upper  side  after 
a  few  days  fishing  without  a  good 
cushion.  Air  cushions,  when  you 
want  them,  always  have  some- 
thing wrong — at  least  such  has 
been  my  experience,  and  to  put 


nation  I  fill  it  up  with  dry  hay 
or  excelsior  or  balsam  boughs  and 
lace  it  shut  like  a  shoe.  After 
a  few  days  if  it  gets  too  flat,  un- 
lace it  and  fill  it  up  and  you  have 
a  dandy. 


LEADERS    FROM    HOOK 
SNELLS 

BY  C.  M.  BYERLY 
Here  is  a  kink  I  have  by  which 
I  make  gut  leaders  from  the 
snells  of  damaged  hooks.  First, 
remove  the  broken  or  damaged 
hooks.  Then,  soak  the  snells  in 
water  a  few  minutes  or  until  they 
are  soft.  (If  you  try  to  tie  them 
dry  they  will  crack  or  break.) 


144 


KINKS    OF   ALL   KINDS 


Then  lay  them  as  in  Fig.  1,  and 
tie  a  common  knot  in  each  and 
around  the  other,  as  in  Fig.  2. 
Pull  both  knots  tight  as  possible; 


Ftg.I  e=> 


Full 


then  pull  them  together  tight  and 
cut  off  the  ends  (a)  close  to  the 
knot. 

I  now  have  a  gut  leader  with  a 
loop  in  each  end  and  about  12  or 
14  inches  long.  Two  of  them 
may  be  looped  together,  making 
once  twice  as  long  and  so  on  till 
I  have  a  leader  of  the  desired 
length. 

By  using  my  old  leaders  this 
way  I  always  have  a  good  leader, 
free  'of  all  cost  and  also  the  satis- 
faction of  making  them  myself. 


A  GOOD  SPINNER  RIG 

BY  CHAS.  O.  REED 
I  am   enclosing  a  pen  descrip- 
tion   of    a    three-hook    pork-rind 
spinner  bait.    I  have  made  several 
of    these,    for    bass,    muskie    and 


Q' 


hundred  fish  with  this  outfit.  1 
can  make  them  up  for  anyone 
very  cheap,  but  any  handy  man 
can  make  it.  I  am  not  a  sub- 


scriber  to  your  magazine  but  I 
never  miss  a  copy  when  it  arrives 
at  the  news  stand. 


A  HOME-MADE 
ATTRACTOR 

BY  GEORGE  MORTON 
Cut  two  and  a  half  by  three- 
eighths  inches  from  a  sheet  of 
German  silver  and  drill  a  small 
hole  in  each  end  for  split  rings. 
Round  both  ends  with  a  file  and 
then  curve  same,  as  illustrated. 
This  can  be  accomplished  in  the 
hands  without  tools,  and  is  very 
difficult  to  straighten  out  again  by 
any  pull  or  strain.  Finish  same 
by  giving  a  brilliant  polish  (this 
is  easily  done  with  any  metal 
polish). 

In  conjunction  with  this,  get  a 


trout.  They  have  no  equal.  Can 
be  made  in  all  sizes,  both  of  spin- 
ners and  hooks.  I  have  in  the 
last  three  months  taken  over  one 


long  shanked  eyed  hook  (not  too 
springy).  Then  wind  on  a  small 
lip  hook  close  to  eye  of  the  large 
one  with  both  barbs  in  line  (as 


KINKS   OF  ALL    KINDS 


145 


illustrated).  In  using  pork  rind 
on  these  hooks,  cut  strip  twice  the 
length  of  the  large  hook  and 
about  one-quarter  inch  thick. 
Hook  the  middle  of  the  rind  on 
the  small  hook  and  let  it  hang 
down  alongside  of  the  large  hook. 
This  method  will  overcome  the 
losing  of  fish  on  short  strikes,  as 
the  hook  is  at  the  tail  of  the  rind 
and  rides  between  same  with  the 
barb  upright,  making  it  also  weed- 
less,  while  the  spinner  will  impart 


found  the  lure  had  the  same 
charm  with  the  bass,  pickerel  and 
perch. 


AN   EXCELLENT   CRAPPIE 
BAIT 

BY  A.  J.  HUNTER 

While  fishing  a  crapple  bed  last 
week  I  discovered  an  excellent 
substitute  for  the  minnow.  I  had 
used  my  last  minnow,  and  as  they 
were  very  hard  to  obtain  I  looked 


to  the  rig  a  wiggling,  wormy  ac- 
tion. They  can't  resist  it.  This 
rig  can  also  be  used  with  dead  or 
live  minnows  by  inserting  small 
hook  in  lips  and  fastening  large 
hook  alongside  of  minnow  with 
small  rubber  band  (as  illus- 
trated). A  fly  can  also  be  used. 
My  first  experiment  with  this 
rig  was  in  salt  water  on  blue  fish 
and  it  was  such  a  wonderful  suc- 
cess (and  grand  sport  with  bait- 
casting  outfit)  that  I  have  sold 
many  by  request.  This  induced 
me  to  try  it  in  fresh  water  and  I 


around  for  a  substitute.  I  struck 
an  idea  that  worked.  Here  it  is. 
On  the  lower  jaw  of  any  fish  you 
will  find,  at  a  point  running  from 
the  forward  tip  of  jaw  to  a  point 
where  the  gills  almost  meet,  a 
long  thin  piece  of  very  tough 
white  skin.  Take  your  pocket 
knife  and  cut  this  out.  When 
putting  on  hook  be  very, careful 
not  to  stick  yourself  with  hook, 
as  this  piece  of  skin  is  tough 
enough  to  make  it  hard  to  put  a 
hook  through  it.  When  put  in 
the  water  and  moved  to  represent 


146 


KINKS    OF   ALL   KINDS 


a  minnow  it  makes  an  excellent 
bait.  I  caught  twelve  on  one  such 
bait.  Hoping  this  will  help  some 
brother  angler  out  of  a  trying 
situation  I  submit  it  to  the  kink 
contest. 


REST  YOUR  BONES 

BY  A.  W.  SUMMERS 
If  you  have  two  bucks  that  you 
can  spare  (and  what  enthusiastic 
disciple  of  Walton  hasn't,  if  he 
has  to  steal  it?),  buy  a  fourteen- 
inch  red  rubber  invalid's  ring. 
The  only  regret  you  will  have  is 
that  you  didn't  do  it  sooner.  It 
has  as  many  uses  as  a  pocket  in 
a  shirt.  After  you  have  sat  on 
a  hardwood  plank  in  a  boat  for 
about  three  days,  haven't  you 
wished  you  had  a  Silver's  recoil 
pad  on  the  seat  of  your  pants? 
The  rubber  ring  will  have  the 
same  effect. 

Then  when  you  made  that  extra 
long  cast  and  fell  out  of  the  boat, 
or  went  under  an  overhanging 
snag  and  were  scraped  off,  would- 
n't a  life  preserver  be  about  the 
finest  thing  you  ever  took  hold 
of?  The  rubber  ring  will  support 
any  man  in  the  water.  Then 
when  you  hit  the  hay  and  make 
a  stab  at  wooing  Morpheus  but 
find  that  the  buttons  in  the  pants 
you  are  using  for  a  pillow  per- 
sistently come  tto  the  top  and 
double-cross  you  in  your  wooing 
— take  your  rubber  ring  and  find 
that  it  isn't  half  bad  as  a  pillow. 
Slip  each  arm  through  one  and 
let  rest  on  the  shoulders  and  you 


will  find  that  you  can  hardly  get 
them  off  in  the  water  unless  you 
are  a  contortionist.  A  woman 
that  never  swam  a  lick  can  swim 
for  miles  with  two  of  the  rings 
arranged  in  this  way.  In  case  of 
sickness  they  come  in  handy.  I 
heave  heard  they  are  one  of  the 
finest  things  in  the  world  in  a 
long  drawn  out  session  of  the 
great  American  game  of  draw 
poker.  (This  latter  suggestion 
will  probably  be  of  no  use  to  a 
fisherman.)  In  a  forty-mile  ride 
in  a  buckboard  and  on  numerous 
other  occasions  you  will  find  it 
worth  the  money.  It  will  take  up 
about  the  same  room  in  your 
tackle  box  as  a  reel  and  will  go 
in  a  much  flatter  space.  On  the 
whole  there  are  only  a  few  things 
In  my  tackle  box  that  are  more 
prized  than  my  cushion.  Buy  one 
and  if  you  do  not  like  it  you  can 
cuss  the  Editor  all  you  like. 


THE  FISH  KITE 

BY  M.  A.  WRIGHT 
Several  years  ago  when  on  an 
outing  trip  in  northern  Minnesota 
I  saw  an  old  gentleman  fishing 
from  the  shore  of  a  small  lake. 
He  was  walking  along  the  shore 
holding  what  looked  like  a  hand 
line,  but  it  seemed  to  stay  out  in 
the  deep  water  and  not  drag  to 
shore  as  one  ordinarily  does.  On 
a  little  closer  observation  I  found 
that  his  line  was  tied  to  a  block 
of  wood  that  seemed  to  have  a 
peculiar  way  of  staying  out  from 
shore. 


KINKS   OF   ALL   KINDS 


147 


I  approached  the  old  gentleman 
and  asked  to  examine  his  outfit, 
and  also  what  he  called  it.  He 
told  me  it  was  a  "fish  kite,"  and 
pulled  it  in  for  me  to  see.  Al- 
though his  kite  was  very  crude, 
it  had  the  right  principle.  I  have 
one  like  the  drawing  and  find  the 
following  good  points  in  its  favor 
when  compared  with  casting: 
You  have  your  bait  in  the  water 
all  the  time,  and  at  the  desired 


THE  PISH  KITE. 

distance  from  shore  rather  than 
fishing,  crosswise  on  a  strip  of 
water,  as  in  casting.  One  can  troll 
a  greater  distance  from  shore 
than  can  be  done  with  the  longest 
cane  pole,  nor  does  it  disturb  the 
water  as  much  as  a  boat.  It  is 
very  convenient  to  carry,  as  the 
lines  may  be  wound  around  the 
kite  and  the  whole  thing  put  in  a 
coat  pocket.  The  block  should 
be  of  white  pine  or  cedar  and 
painted  most  any  dull  color. 
Nearly  any  kind  of  bait  may  be 
used,  such  as  spoon  hook,  wob- 
bler, minnow,  frog  or  worms. 


The  belly-bands  are  tied  from 
screw  eyes  A  to  D,  and  from  B 
to  C.  The  tow  line  is  tied  to  the 
belly-bands  a  little  closer  to  C  and 
D  than  to  A  and  B.  The  bait  line 
is  tied  to  D.  The  belly-bands  and 
tow  line  should  be  adjusted  so  as 
to  make  the  kite  ride  vertically 
and  with  the  front  end  of  the 
block  farther  from  shore  than  the 
rear  end.  The  kite  should  float 
with  the  top  of  the  block  about 


-fet      I 


one-half  of  an  inch  above  the 
water.  The  lead  weight  may  have 
to  be  added  to  or  lessened  to  get 
this  result,  due  to  the  difference 
in  the  weight  of  different  pieces 
of  wood. 


A  PARTNERSHIP  KINK 

BY  H.  S.  BASSETT 
The  Kink  Contest  reminded 
me  of  a  little  experience  I  had 
while  fishing  with  my  friends, 
Alva  Jones  and  W.  H.  Fry  near 
Sullivan,  111.,  late  last  season  in 
the  Okaw  River,  and  I  think  you 


148 


KINKS   OF   ALL   KINDS 


will  agree  with  me  in  calling  same 
a  kink. 

The  Okaw  at  this  point  is  not 
less  than  125  feet  wide  and  in  try- 
ing for  a  likely  "bass  spot"  near 
other  side,  my  Shakespeare  Yel- 
low Perch  hung  on  a  submerged 
log  in  the  center  of  the  river.  I 
of  course  tried  various  expedients 
to  release  it,  but  with  no  success. 
A  few  days  before,  I  had  hung 
up  in  practically  the  same  man- 
ner and,  hating  to  lose  this  favor- 
ite bait,  I  undressed  and  went  in 
and  got  it.  This  time,  however, 
both  atmosphere  and  water  were 
very  cold,  and  I  hesitated  about 
going  in,  and  sat  down  on  a  log 
to  study  the  proposition  over. 

While  sitting  there  I  naturally 
put  my  hand  in  my  pants  pocket 
and  encountered  my  ring  of  keys. 
It  was  then  the  idea  was  born.  I 
yelled  to  one  of  my  friends  to 
come  back  opposite  to  me  on  the 
other  shore.  When  he  did  so,  I 
asked  him  to  tie  a  heavy  sinker  on 
his  line  in  place  of  his  bait  and 
cast  it  to  me.  This  he  did. 


taut  line.  Say,  there  was  "noth- 
ing to  it."  That  ring  went  direct 
to  the  minnow  and  disengaged  it. 
I  reeled  it  back,  returned  his  line. 
I  then  put  my  keys  back  on  the 
ring  and  in  my  pocket,  and  was 
bappy,  at  least  for  that  time.  I 
got  several  bass  that  day,  but 
that  was  the  only  time  during  the 
trip  that  we  needed  the  kink. 


CASTING  THE  LOOP  KINK 

BY  M.  P.  KEEFE 
How  many  times,  when  fly  cast- 
ing, have  you  had  your  favorite 
fly  or  fly  spinner  snag  in  a  pool 
that  you  did  not  wish  to  disturb 
by  wading  into?  Or  perhaps  the 
pool  was  too  deep  to  wade  to 
where  fly  was  caught  on  rock  or 


I  then  took  my  keys  off  the 
ring,  put  ring  over  my  line,  tied 
his  line  to  it  and  asked  him  to 
reel  in,  I  at  same  time  keeping  a 


gravel   (or  log,  if  hook  is  not  in 
too  deep). 

Well,   the   next  time   you   have 
this  happen,  try  this  kink:    Draw 


KINKS    OF   ALL   KINDS 


149 


from  reel  6  to  8  feet  more  line 
than  it  takes  to  reach  snag  when 
rod  is  in  position  for  forward  cast 
(Fig.  1).  Cast  forward  sharply 
and  line  should  land  at  least  3 
feet  past  where  snag  is. 

Now,  let  the  line  sink  in  the 
water  a  little.  This  is  to  get 
more  friction  from  the  water 
than  if  you  should  not  let  it  sink. 
(Fig.  2.)  Then  retrieve  line  as 
in  any  back  cast,  only  use  a  little 
more  power  than  ordinary.  (Fig. 
3.)  Your  fly  or  spinner  will 


have   saved   many   a  fly   and   fly- 
spoon  by  doing  so. 


A  KINKY  LINE 

BY  M.  B.  AMES 
Without    doubt    you    have    be- 
come   more    or    less    careless    at 
times  when  trolling  with  two  or 


come  free  of  snag  sure  if  caught 
on  a  stone,  and  in  lots  of  cases 
if  it  is  caught  on  a  log.  I  have 
used  this  method  for  years  and 


more  lines  and  the  first  thing  you 
know  you  have  two  lines  com- 
pletely tangled  up,  one  wound 
around  the  other  hundreds  of 


ISO 


KINKS    OF   ALL    KINDS 


times.  When  you  attempt  to  reel 
in  you  get  tangled  more  and  more 
until  you  feel  like  throwing  lines 
and  all  overboard.  This  is  what 
happened  to  Wes.  and  me  this 
spring  while  trolling  for  salmon 
in  Sebago  Lake,  Maine. 

We  had  had  some  good  fishing 
and  were  trolling  with  three  lines 
out  when  I  got  one  of  those 
"Dandy  Strikes"  (which  we 
landed).  In  the  meantime  Wes. 
started  to  reel  in  the  extra  lines, 
which  had  become  completely 
twisted  and  kinked,  and  you  know 
what  that  means. 

After  landing  the  salmon  and 
the  excitement  all  over,  for  the 
time  being,  the  next  thing  was, 
"Look  at  that  line !"  Fussing^j 
awhile  with  it,  Wes.  suggested  go-i 
ing  ashore  and  unsnarling  which1 
would  take  an  hour  or  more.  But 
having  been  in  about  the  same 
mixup  many  times  before,  I  sug- 
gested this  old  method  of  mine. 

We  took  off  everything,  includ- 
ing the  leader,  from  each  line, 
and  then  very  carefully  dropped 
the  lines  overboard  into  the  water. 
As  the  boat  was  moving  all  the 
time,  of  course,  it  trailed  behind. 
After  putting  it  all  out,  each  of 
us  took  a  rod  and  began  reeling 
in  slowly,  letting  the  twisted  line 
unroll  itself  in  the  water.  In  a 
few  minutes  our  lines  were  all 
reeled  in  ready  to  be  fastened  to 
the  leader  and  resume  fishing. 

Hope  this  kink  will  be  of  use  to 
some  of  the  new  fishermen  if  not 
to  older  ones,  as  it  is  a  "life  saver" 
for  the  lines  in  many  cases. 


A   KINK  SPREADER 

BY  CHAS.  FORSYTH 

One  day  last  spring  the  catfish 
were  biting  real  well.  Indeed 
they  were  swallowing  the  hook 
down  into  the  stomach  in  the  ma- 
jority of  cases,  and  not  having 
any  hook  extractor,  I  came  home 
at  night  with  my  fingers  all 
chewed  up.  This  was  not  the 
first  time  I  have  had  that  happen 
taking  fish  off  the  hook,  but  it 
was  about  the  worst;  so  I  set 
about  to  try  and  invent  some  way 
to  obviate  the  trouble  and  save 
my  fingers,  and  turned  out  the 
following  simple  little  article  that 
will  do  the  work  on  any  kind  of  a 
I  fish. 

The  accompanying  cut  describes 
the  "Kink  Spreader"  as  well  as 
words. 

It  is  made  from  a  rather  heavy 
piece  of  spring  wire,  and  as  for 
size,  is  made  according  to  the  size 
of  fish  you  are  catching;  the  big- 
ger the  fish,  the  bigger  the 
spreader  has  to  be.  The  one  I 
made  for  fish  up  to  a  couple  of 
pounds  is  6  inches  long  from  A 
to  B  and  1^4  inches  wide  at  the 
loop  A,  with  points  C-C  turned 
up  about  y^  inch.  These  points 
want  to  be  sharpened  some,  but 
not  enough  to  pierce  the  mouth. 

To  use  same,  when  your  fish 
swallows  the  hook  into  the  stom- 
ach— which  quite  often  happens 
at  certain  times,  especially  with  a 
catfish — press  points  together  and 
insert  inside  the  lips,  let  loose, 
and  the  mouth  will  be  spread  open 


KINKS    OF   ALL    KINDS 


151 


to  full  extent,  giving  you  plenty 
of  room  to  get  your  fingers  down 
inside  and  extract  the  hook.  With 
the  spreader  in  place,  it  is  im- 
possible for  the  fish  to  close  its 
mouth  and  lacerate  your  fingers. 
Another  thing  I  find  it  quite 
handy  for,  is  in  cleaning  the  fish. 
You  all  know  a  fish — especially  a 
cat — is  rather  an  awkward  thing 
to  hold  to,  and  more  so,  if  they 
are  alive.  I  always  insert  and  hold 
to  the  spreader,  then  they  can  be 


them  much  in  our  local  waters  on 
account  of  the  carp.  These  latter 
are  hogs  for  the  fat  juicy  lumps 
of  crab  meat. 

Carp  fisherman  should  try  this 
one.  Take  a  nice  deep  eddy  and 
place  your  bait  about  six  feet  be- 
yond it  in  the  current.  You  will 
have  better  success  than  in  dead 
water,  as  the  fish  prefer  to  feed 
on  the  edge  of  the  current.  An- 
other thing  to  remember  is  that 
no  matter  how  hard  a  carp  hits 


washed  and  their  heads  cut  off 
with  ease,  and  I  run  no  risk  of 
being  stabbed. 


LIVE    BAIT    WISDOM 

BY  FRED  RUPERT 
For  river  fishing  there  are  prac- 
tically only  two  kinds  of  live  bait 
that  will  stand  the  pounding  of  a 
good  many  throws  and  still  re- 
main in  serviceable  condition. 
These  are  the  soft  shelled  crab 
and  the  helgramite.  Of  the  two 
I  prefer  the  crabs,  but  do  not  use 


the  bait,  never  strike  him  until  he 
runs.  This  rule  also  holds  good 
in  bass  fishing. 

In  fishing  with  helgramites — 
first  catch  your  bait.  There  are 
several  good  ways  of  doing  this. 
First,  if  you  have  plenty  of  money, 
use  some  of  it.  Second,  buy 
about  six  feet  of  wire  screening 
with  a  quarter-inch  mesh.  Fasten 
this  to  sticks  at  either  end,  the 
same  as  with  an  ordinary  net.. 
Stretch  your  screen  across  below 
where  you  think  the  bugs  are 
and  rake  the  bottom  down  stream 


152 


KINKS   OF   ALL   KINDS 


towards  the  net.  The  current  will 
carry  them  into  the  net.  Third, 
use  your  hands,  but  always  turn 
your  stone  against  the  current. 

There  are  a  dozen  ways  of  put- 
ting the  helgramite  on  your  hook. 
The  best  one  I  believe,  is  to  turn 
the  hook  sideways  and  slip  it 
under  the  collar.  (See  sketch.) 


This  keeps  the  barb  of  the  hook 
from  tearing  the  bug,  and  they 
are  in  better  condition  for  use. 
I  have  several  times  caught  four 
and  five  bass  on  one  helgramite 
hooked  in  the  manner  described. 
And  don't  forget  to  move  your 
bait  every  two  or  three  minutes. 
Otherwise  you  may  find  that  it 
has  crawled  under  a  stone. 

I  have  kept  helgramites  alive 
two  and  three  months  at  a  time 
by  filling  a  minnow  bucket  half 
up  with  dry,  rotten  wood  and  then 
putting  in  the  bugs.  Keep  in  a 
damp  cool  place  (the  cellar  is 
good),  but  never  put  the  bugs  in 
water  again  until  they  are  on  your 
hook. 

SKINNING  THE  CAT 

BY  CHARLES  W.  CARTER 
"There  is  more  than  one  way  to 
skin  a  cat."  So  the  old  saw  says. 
But  as  it  does  not  tell  of  even 
one  good  way,  I  always  consid- 
ered it  a  perfectly  useless  old 


saw.  What  is  true  of  cats  in  gen- 
eral is  true  of  the  catfish  in  par- 
ticular. There  is  more  than  one 
way  to  get  his  hide.  And  I  am 
going  to  go  the  old  saw  one  better 
by  giving  the  one  best  kink  for 
skinning  the  cat  with  neatness 
and  dispatch.  , 

First,  whittle  a  hardwood  peg 
the  size  and  shape  of  a  pointed 
lead  pencil.  A  meat  skewer,  from 
the  butcher  shop  does  very  well. 
If  you  are  going  to  have  much 
use  for  it,  whittle  it  from  a  broom 
handle  or  a  hardwood  stick  of 
similar  size,  leaving  a  comfort- 
able handle  on  one  end.  (Fig.  1.) 
Next,  with  the  point  of  the  knife 
slit  the  skin  of  your  cat  from 
head  to  tail  into  convenient  sized 


strips.  Then  holding  the  head  of 
the  fish  in  the  left  hand,  thrust 
your  peg  through  under  the  skin 
next  the  head,  entering  at  one 
slit  and  emerging  at  the  next  one. 
(Fig.  2.)  Now,  holding  the  head 
firmly,  move  the  peg  quickly  from 
head  to  tail  with  the  same  motion 
you  would  make  in  cutting  a  long 


KINKS   OF  ALL   KINDS 


153 


shaving  from  a  soft  pine  stick. 
(Fig.  3.)  You  will  be  surprised 
at  the  ease  with  which  the  strip  of 
skin  is  removed.  Treat  each  strip 
in  a  similar  way,  twist  off  the 
head,  pull  out  the  guts  and  your 
cat  is  cleaned. 

Next,   roll   him   in   corn-meal — 
but  you  know  the  rest. 


GOING    LIGHT 

BY  JAMES  A.  HELLER 

One  of  the  things  which  appeals 
to  the  caster  of  artificial  baits  is 
the  facility  with  which  he  can  pick 
up  and  go.  He  does  not  have  to 


spend  a  day  getting  bait  or  lug 
around  a  lot  of  paraphernalia  for 
getting  it  before  he  can  start  fish- 
ing. Just  puts  a  couple  of  plugs 
in  his  creel  or  pockets  and  starts. 
But  hold,  I  said  a  couple.  I  will 
take  that  back.  There  was  a  time 
when  that  was  true,  but  now  the 
up-to-date  caster  starts  out  with  a 
remodeled  edition  of  his  father's 
tin  cash  box,  which  is  not  much 
better  than  a  bucket  of  live  bait 
when  it  comes  to  carrying  it  a 
few  miles. 

Now,  by  spending  a  few  cents 
for  some  wire  and  cutting  in 
lengths  of  say  five  inches  and 
bending  it  as  per  sketch  No.  1, 


these  little  wire  hooks  can  be 
pushed  over  the  rim  of  your  creel 
and  do  not  in  any  way  interfere 
with  the  closing  of  the  lid.  You 
can  hang  a  number  of  your  baits 
on  these  little  hooks  on  the  inside 
and  when  you  start  fishing  you 
can  hang  what  you  think  you  are 
going  to  use  on  the  outside,  (see 
No.  3).  You  will  be  surprised 
at  the  number  of  baits  you  can 
carry  this  way  and  the  ease 
and  rapidity  with  which  you  can 
change  from  one  bait  to  another. 
For  a  permanent  attachment  you 
can  make  little  wire  rings  (see 
No.  2)  and  fasten  around  the  rim. 


To  these  you  should  attach  a 
small  snap  swived  to  which  the 
bait  can  be  attached  and  there  is 
no  chance  of  their  being  lost. 


A  SURE  HOOKING  FLY 

BY  GEO.  C.  KNAUR 

Here  is  a  kink  that  I  hope  will 
interest  some  one.  Many  bass 
strikes  are  lost  on  flies  on  ac- 
count of  the  hook  slipping  be- 
tween the  jaws  of  Mr.  Bass.  If 
the  hook  has  a  sneck  bend  to  it 
it's  less  apt  to  happen  than  with 
a  straight  hook.  I  have  found 
one  way  to  be  sure  of  hooking 
Mr.  Bass  if  he  strikes  the  hook. 


154 


KINKS    OF   ALL    KINDS 


Here  it  is :  Take  a  treble  hook 
and  a  small  one  so  that  the  eye 
won't  slip  over  the  barb  of  the 
fly  hook.  Melt  or  file  the  solder 
off,  releasing  the  third  hook. 
That  will  spring  over  the  fly  hook 
and  insure  most  any  strike  you 
may  get.  Then  it  is  up  to  you 
to  land  your  fish. 


A   KINK  ON   FISH   TRANS- 
PORTATION 

BY  GEORGE  RAVELING 
Have  you  ever  taken  a  trip  to 
some  isolated  lake,  fished  for  a 
couple  of  days  and  captured  a  fine 
mess  of  the  finny  beauties  and  on 
the  morning  of  departure  turned 
them  all  back  out  of  your  live 
box  into  the  lake  on  account  of 
not  being  able  to  procure  ice,  and 
a  pail  to  carry  them  in,  or  because 
both  were  too  cumbersome  to  han- 
dle while  changing  from  one 
train  to  another? 

Most  of  us  have,  however  badly 
we  have  wanted  to  take  just  a 
mess  home  to  our  family  or  a 
couple  to  pass  along  to  some 
doubting  Thomas  who  seemed 
skeptical  about  our  tales  (tales, 
mind  you,  not  tails),  of  what  we 
caught.  Here  is  how  I  succeeded 
in  taking  a  nice  little  bunch  home 
without  being  cumbersome  and 
without  ice  on  a  warm  June  day, 
although  the  location  of  the  fish- 
ing waters  made  it  necessary  to 
travel  all  day  and  make  five 
changes  en  route. 

First  the  fish  were  gutted  and 
gilled  and  washed  clean  inside 


and  out.  Then  the  insides  were 
stuffed  with  green  cottonwood 
leaves  and  more  leaves  spread 
upon  several  thicknesses  of  paper 
upon  which  the  fish  were  placed, 
and  another  layer  of  leaves  over 
the  fish.  Then  the  bundle  was 
rolled  up,  being  careful  to  over- 
lap the  ends,  and  several  more 
papers  wrapped  around  the  out- 
side. 

The  package,  upon  being  un- 
wrapped after  the  journey,  dis- 
closed the  fish  in  as  fine  shape  as 
when  they  left  the  lake;  and  let 
me  tell  you,  they  look  real 
tempting  in  a  bed  of  nice  green 
leaves. 

If  leaves  are  not  available,  good 
clean  slough  grass  will  serve  the 
purpose  just  as  well. 


THE    PORK    RIND    FROG 

By  W.  T.  LEROW 
Have  you  ever  been  fishing  and 
after  using  every  bait  you  had  in 
your  tackle  box  and  getting  nary 
a  strike,  had  a  farmer  boy  come 
rowing  by  with  a  string  of  fine 
bass  and  pickerel?  What  bait 
was  he  using?  you  ask.  Just  a 
common  frog.  Do  you  remember 
how  you  frantically  rowed  to  the 
shore  in  search  *of  some  frogs 
and  found  plenty  so  small  they 
still  had  the  pollywog  tails?  There 
was  just  one  frog  of  the  right 
size  for  casting  and  after  a  mad 
scramble  he  got  away.  Well,  I 
was  in  the  same  fix  and  I  wanted 
fish  because  the  folks  at  home 
would  have  the  laugh  on  me  if  I 


KINKS    OF   ALL   KINDS 


155 


didn't  bring  home  at  least  one 
fish. 

I  sat  down  to  think  out  how  I 
could  get  a  frog  and  at  last  the 
happy  thought  came — I  would 
make  one  out  of  pork  rind.  I  cut 
a  piece  of  pork  rind  3^  inches 
long,  1  inch  wide  and  ^  inch 
thick.  I  cut  it  thick  so  it  would 
weigh  enough  to  cast  well,  but 
I  cut  down  some  and  rounded  it 
so  it  would  be  as  near  like  a  frog 
as  possible. 

I  then  cut  a  V  (see  Fig.  1)  1# 
inches  from  one  end,  that  left  two 
streamers  for  the  hind  legs.  Next 
make  two  cuts  ^2  inch  deep  at 
the  other  end  running  the  length 
of  the  strip.  These  are  for  the 
front  legs;  then  shape  the  head 
to  suit  yourself,  also  the  sides  so 
they  have  the  right  curve. 

Then  try  out  your  frog  to  see 
if  it  casts  well. 

In  trimming  up  your  frog  don't 
cut  away  too  much  until  you  see 
if  it  casts  well.  If  it  is  too  heavy 
it  is  easy  enough  to  cut  away  some 
more,  but  if  it  is  not  heavy 
enough  you  will  have  to  make  a 
new  one  or  use  a  weighted  hook. 

I  use  a  Stanley  Weedless,  either 
with  or  without  a  spinner,  and 
mostly  without  a  weight.  With 
the  Stanley  you  can  cast  in  the  lily 
pads  and  rushes  and  hook  and 
land  a  fair  per  cent  of  the  strikes. 

The  first  time  I  tried  the  Pork 
Rind  Frog  I  didn't  have  much 
success,  so  rowed  'way  back  in 
the  lily  pads  near  the  shore  and 
I  took  some  of  the  green  scum 
and  rubbed  it  on  the  Pork  Rind 


Frog  to  give  it  a  froggy  color. 
Then  I  tried  it  out  again  and  had 
fair  success.  You  can  take  a  little 
of  the  scum  and  rub  on  every 


fie 


little  while  as  the   casting  wears 
the  color  off. 

While  the  Pork  Rind  Frog  will 
catch  fish,  it  is  not  quite  as  good 
as  the  real  thing,  but  a  few  fish 
is  better  than  none. 


FIXING  MAD  TOMS  FOR 
BAIT 

BY  W.  C.  MONEY 
Speaking  of  kinks,  how  many 
of  you  black-bass  fishermen  have 
put  a  nice  lively  mad-torn  (cat- 
fish) on  your  hook,  made  your 
cast  to  a  likely  looking  hole  and 
let  it  stay  there  for  a  while,  won- 
dering why  the  fish  do  not  take  it  ? 
Then  you  get  tired  of  waiting,  try 
to  reel  in  your  line  to  change 
holes  and  find  you  cannot  move 
it.  Why?  The  torn  has  found  a 


156 


KINKS   OF   ALL   KINDS 


nice  rock  on  the  bottom  and  has 

gotten  under  it.  And  let  me  say 
right  here,  when  a  mad  torn  gets 
under  a  rock,  he  will  come  pretty 
near  staying  there,  and  if  you  pull 
your  line  trying  to  coax  him  out, 


the  first  thing  you  know  the  line 
will  come  in  minus  the  bait  or  cut 
by  the  rock.  Many  of  you  will 
say,  "put  a  small  cork  on  the 
snell  of  the  hook  and  keep  him 
out  of  the  rocks."  Well,  that's 
a  good  idea  but  when  Mr.  Bass 
sees  a  mad-torn  swimming,  he 
knows  he  does  not  carry  any  body- 
guard with  him  in  the  shape  of 
a  slug  cork. 

Now  that  youVe  read  this  ex- 
plosion, I  give  you  the  kink. 

Take  Mr.  Tom  in  your  left 
hand  (careful  of  his  prongs),  and 
with  your  sharp  knife  skin  about 
a  quarter  of  an  inch  of  hide  from 
the  back  of  his  head  (see  dia- 
gram). This  well  keep  him  out 
of  weeds,  rocks,  and  away  from 
all  growth  that  will  impede  his 
efforts  to  attract  the  fish.  The 
idea  is  this :  Suppose  you  had  a 
wound  on  your  hand — just  some 
skin  knocked  off — and  in  some 
way  the  skinned  surface  came  in 
contact  with  a  board  or  your  coat. 
You  would  pull  it  away,  wouldn't 
you,  and  mighty  quick,  too?  Well, 
so  will  the  mad-torn.  When  he 
starts  under  a  rock  and  scrapes 


his  head  he  will  come  out,  and  if 
he  scratches  his  head  on  some 
grass  he  will  also  come  out.  Try 
this,  boys,  and  if  you  don't  have 
more  pleasure  with  less  sweating 
and  catch  more  fish  then — I  am 
stung. 

ROD  WINDING  WITH  A 
NEEDLE 

BY  R.  W.  HOMER 
All  of  us  have  rewound  our 
rods  at  some  time  and  some  of 
us  have  had  a  little  trouble  tying 
the  ends  of  the  wrapping.  I  re- 
member when  I  wound  my  first 
rod,  I  spent  more  time  fastening 
the  ends  of  the  thread  than  I  did 
in  making  the  wrap. 

Of  late  I  have  used  the  follow- 
ing method  and  found  it  worked 
fine:  I  take  a  fine  needle,  just 


large  enough  to  permit  thread- 
ing with  the  silk.  Thread  the 
needle  and  lay  it  along  the  rod 
(Fig.  1),  allowing  the  needle  to 
hold  the  thread  against  the  rod 
at  the  point  you  wish  to  start 


KINKS    OF   ALL   KINDS 


157 


winding.  The  thread  thru  the  eye 
will  hold  the  loose  end  until  the 
wrap  is  started.  Wind  back  to- 
ward the  eye  over  needle,  and 
loose  end  (which  is  thru  the 
eye)  till  the  winding  is  the  size 
you  wish.  Then  remove  thread 
from  eye  and  replace  it  with  the 
end  you  have  been  wrapping  from. 
Pull  the  needle  thru  and  you  have 
both  ends  entirely  under  the  wrap 
and  well  tied  down. 

Where  the  rod  is  very  thin,  as 
at  the  tip,  when  the  needle  is  re- 
moved the  win(}ing  will  be  a  little 
loose.  This  can  be  tightened  by 
twisting  the  winding  in  the  di- 
rection it  was  put  on  and  pulling 
the  ends  till  it  becomes  snug. 
Cut  the  loose  ends  close  to  the 
wrap  and  it  will  stay  till  the 
thread  breaks,  even  if  never  varn- 
ished.   

A  FLOAT  KINK 

BY  ADOLPH  SICKEL 
When  placing  the  float  upon 
my  line  one  day,  I  found 
that  I  had  lost  the  small  brass 
clip  and  screw  eye  through 
which  the  line  was  ordinarily 
fastened.  I  therefore  had  to  tie 
the  line  to  the  float,  which  was 
decidedly  unhandy,  as  it  would 
not  slip  up  or  down  without  un- 
tying the  knots. 

Upon  returning  home,  I  took 
a  bit  of  wire  and  bent  it  into  the 
shape  of  a  small  hairpin;  I  then 
made  a  twist  about  one-half  inch 
from  the  bend,  as  shown  in  Fig- 
ure A.  The  resultant  loop  was 
fastened  to  the  stick  on  the  float, 


by  twisting  the  end  of  wire 
around  it,  and  a  similar  loop  was 
placed  on  the  other  end  of  the 
float. 

To  place  this  combination  upon 
the  line,  pass  a  loop  of  the  line 


through  the  wire  loop  and  over 
the  stick,  as  shown  in  Figure  C. 
Repeat  this  at  the  other  end  of 
the  float,  and  the  trick  is  done. 
These  fasteners  don't  lose  off. 
While  the  float  is  held  tightly,  it 
can  readily  be  removed  without 
taking  the  hook  from  the  line,  or 
slipped  up  and  down,  as  desired. 


MAKING     YOUR     LINE 
WATERPROOF 

BY  GEO.  KRUMSICK 
There  are  a  good  many  anglers 
who  go  fly-fishing  and  often  have 
to  use  an  ordinary  line  for  this 
purpose,  as  all  fly  fishermen  do 
not  have  an  enamaled  line  handy 


158 


KINKS   OF   ALL   KINDS 


at  all  times.  I  know  this  to  be  a 
fact,  as  I  have  been  in  the  same 
boat  on  many  occasions  and  had 
to  do  my  fly  fishing  with  a  water- 
soaked  line,  which  runs  very 
poorly  and  makes  the  sport  hard 
work.  However,  last  summer  I 
thought  out  a  trick  that  works 
well  in  this  case,  and  it  is  done 
as  follows:  Before  going  to  the 
river  or  lake,  hang  your  ordinary 
line  out  in  the  hot  sun,  rub  it  with 
wax,  and  then  run  it  through 
your  hands  to  smooth  it  off.  Take 
the  line  in  the  shade,  reel  it  up, 
and  you  are  ready  for  business. 
A  line  treated  in  this  manner  will 
be  fairly  stiff  and  give  you  good 
results. 


A  CARRY-ALL  BAG 

BY  D.  T.  BARNETT 
The  rough  sketches  accompany- 
ing show  a  bag  that  my  friends 
tell  me  has  solved  the  carrying 
problem.  I  have  made  six  of 
these  bags  so  far,  and  they  have 
been  a  real  success. 

It  is  surpris- 
ing what  a  lot 
of  junk  may  be 
carried  in  a  bag 
of  this  shape. 
Mine  has  often 
held  a  quart 
Thermos  bottle 
at  the  bottom. 
Next  a  14  by  10 
by  4-inch  tackle 
box,  a  pair  of 
hip  boots,  a 
raincoat  or  a 


silk  wedge  tent.    And  to  top  it  all 
off,  a  light  blanket. 

This  bag  can  be  made  out  of 
any  suitable  material.  The  top  is 
left  any  width  to  suit  your  fancy, 


being  pulled  together  with  a 
drawstring  after  the  bag  is  filled. 
The  shoulder  straps  are  2  inches 
wide.  The  left  one  is  sewed  on 
at  both  ends.  The  right  one  is 
sewed  on  only  at  the  top, 
fastening  at  the  lower  end  by 
means  of  a  harness  snap  to  a  D 
ring  sewed  to  the  bag.  The  flap 
is  in  two  pieces,  sewed  together 


KINKS    OF   ALL   KINDS 


159 


through  the  middle  and  then 
turned.  This  bag  is  "good  med- 
icine" and  worth  trying  out. 


HANDY  CLEANER  FOR 
THE  .22 

BY  ROY  FIELDS 

Here  is  a  kink  that  may  be  ap- 
preciated by  some  of  our  "light 
armed."  It  is  a  cleaner  for  a  .22. 

Get  a  speedometer  "chain"  of 
the  type  that  is  nothing  more  than 
a  small  coil  spring.  These  are 
made  of  the  best  spring  wire  and 
are  just  the  thing  for  a  cleaner. 
Cut  it  off  the  right  length.  Coil 
it  up  and  put  it  in  your  pocket 
and  when  you  get  ready  for  it  you 
have  it  without  the  bother  of  a 
long  brass  wire,  etc. 


FREEING    THE    LEADER 

BY  A.  C.  BIGELOW 
It  may  be  possible  to  fish  in  a 
trout  stream  with  a  fly  and  never 
get  the  leader  with  the  fly  caught 
in  some  high-hanging  branch  of 
a  tree;  but  I  believe  that  one  of 
the  most  frequent  causes  of  justi- 
fiable profanity  comes  from  this 
kind  of  an  occurrence.  In  many 
cases,  aside  from  the  ordniary 
vexation,  is  added  the  loss  of 
tackle  because  the  branch  is  too 
high  to  be  reached. 

I  now  always  carry  a  heavy 
hunting  knife  with  keen  edge,  in 
the  usual  leather  case,  strapped 
on  the  belt  about  my  waist.  When 
my  tackle  is  caught  quite  beyond 
my  reach,  I  simply  look  about 
for  a  small  straight  sapling  with 


small  branch  growing  near  the 
bottom.  Then  cut  it  off  just  be- 
low the  branch,  trim  it  to  make 
a  crotch  (trimming  all  other 
branches  off)  and  reversing  the 
sapling,  I  loft  the  crotch  end  till 
I  can  hook  on  to  the  offending 
branch  to  bring  it  within  reach 
and  get  my  tackle.  As  the  knife 
is  always  right  to  hand,  I  use 
it  for  all  cutting  purposes,  in- 
stead of  fishing  in  my  pocket  for 
my  other  knife.  A  fairly  heavy 
knife  will  cut  a  good  sized  stick 
in  short  order. 


FOR     CARRYING     SPOONS 

BY  RAY  E.  PARKER 
Here  is  a  kink  that  may  be  of 
use  to  some  brother  who  uses 
the  fly-spoon  and  the  regular 
spoons  as  well.  Take  a  sheet  of 
thin  stiff  metal  (I  used  spring 
brass)  and  cut  same  into  sizes 
same  as  the  leaves  of  your  fly 
book. 

Now     get     some     large     brass 
hooks,  such  as  are  used  on  skirts, 


etc.,  and  rivet  or  solder  them  in 
a  row  at  each  end  of  the  sheets 
about  24  of  an  inch  apart  and 
about  VT,  inch  from  the  ends  of 
the  sheets.  Now  put  the  tying 
end  of  the  fly- spoon  on  one  hook 


160 


KINKS   OF  ALL   KINDS 


and,  slipping  a  small  rubber 
band  over  the  fly  hook,  loop 
the  other  end  on  the  hook 
opposite  the  one  on  which  the 
other  end  of  the  spoon  is  fast- 
ened. Thus  the  spoons  are  easy 
to  get  at  at  all  times  and  never 
become  snarled  as  they  do  when 
carried  loose  in  a  tackle  box, 
which  sure  saves  a  pile  of  cussing 
in  the  course  of  a  season. 

By  placing  hooks  in  similar  fash- 
ion in  the  bottom  and  in  the  lid  of 
a  tobacco  box  which  opens  up 
flat-ways,  the  some  good  results 
•  can  be  obtained  with  spoons  hav- 
ing treble  hooks. 


MACARONI  FOR  BAIT 

BY  GILBERT  DUST 

Get  a  dime's  worth  of  macaroni 
and  put  it  in  a  pan  of  cold  water, 
breaking  the  macaroni  into  lengths 
of  about  three  inches.  Put  it  on 
a  fire  and  allow  it  to  get  hot 
through,  or  until  it  is  tough  and 
limber  and  then  take  it  off  and 
pinch  into  lengths  of  about  one 
and  one-half  inches  and  it  is  then 
ready  for  use. 

To  bait  your  hook  simply  string 
on  like  a  worm  and  you  will 
doubtless  find  you  have  a  good 
all-around  substitute  for  such 
fish  as  channel  cat,  white  perch, 
buffalo,  carp  and  suckers. 


AN     EXCELLENT     PERCH 
BAIT 

BY  R.  B.  HOCKINGS 
Anglers    who    have    fished    for 
perch,   find   it  very   disgusting  to 


keep  changing  the  water  on  min- 
nows every  little  while,  and  then 
having  some  of  them  die;  having 
to  put  their  hands  in  the  pail  to 
catch  a  minnow,  and  having  a  lot 
of  trouble  getting  minnows  at  all 
when  they  want  to  go  fishing.  So 
I  have  a  kink  to  tell  you  that  will 
relieve  you  of  all  further  trouble 
of  this  kind. 

I  was  visiting  with  an  old  ang- 
ler a  short  time  ago  and  we  got 
to  talking  about  bass,  pickerel;  in 
fact,  all  kinds  of  baits. 

After  talking  a  while  I  got  him 
to  tell  me  how  it  was  he  always 
managed  to  catch  so  many  perch. 

He  said  he  always  used  to  use 
minnows  until  recent  years,  and 


always  with  pretty  good  success. 
But  one  day,  as  he  was  walking 
along  the  street,  he  saw  a  piece 
of  tinfoil  lying  on  the  sidewalk. 
He  picked  it  up  and  began  to 
smooth  it  out,  when  a  thought 
came  to  him.  Why  not  use  tin- 
foil instead  of  minnows?  He 
made  up  his  mind  then  and  there 
to  try  it  the  next  day. 

Bright  and  early  the  next  morn- 
ing he  rowed  out  to  his  favorite 
fishing  spot  to  try  out  his  new 
bait.  He  dropped  anchor,  got  out 
his  poles,  then  took  a  piece  of  tin 
foil  about  1^2  inches  square  (Fig. 
A  in  sketch)  and  rolled  it  (Fig. 
B  in  sketch).  Then  took  his  hook 


KINKS    OF   ALL    KINDS 


161 


and  hooked  it  in  about  the  mid- 
dle of  the  rolled  tinfoil.  Then 
he  twisted  it  about  three  times 
and  bent  the  corners  down  on  one 
end,  making  it  pointed  so  that  it 
looked  about  the  shape  of  a  min- 
now (Fig.  C  shows  it  completed). 
When  this  was  done  he  tossed  it 
into  the  water  and  in  just  a  few 
minutes  he  was  rewarded  with  a 
nice,  big  perch,  and  in  a  very 
little  while  he  had  a  big  string 
of  fish.  Then,  too,  he  was  able 
to  catch  from  five  to  six  perch  on 
the  one  tinfoil  bait,  where  with 
minnows,  one  perch  usually  meant 
one  or  more  minnows. 
Anyone  trying  this  kink  will  find 
it  an  interesting,  excellent  and 
inexpensive  perch  bait. 


Meramec  River  catfish  weighing 
up  to  eight  pounds  are  caught  in 
this  manner. 


CATCHING   CATFISH    ON 
WILSON    WOBBLERS 

BY  GEO.  KRUMSICK 
Here  is  a  little  kink  that  some 
of  our  stream  fishermen  might  try 
when  they  go  camping  and  get 
tired  of  eating  bass  at  every  meal. 
This  kink  is  being  used  here  by 
some  of  our  anglers  and  is  bring- 
ing them  channel  cat  without 
using  live  bait.  The  stunt  is 
simply  this :  When  you  have  fin- 
ished casting  your  wooden  min- 
nows in  the  deep  pools  for  the 
day,  tie  them  to  a  short  trot-line 
and  stretch  it  across  the  riffles 
where  the  water  is  swift  and 
about  two  feet  deep.  The  current 
will  keep  the  wobbler  going  all 
night,  and  when  Mr.  Channel  Cat 
comes  up  to  feed  he'll  nab  the 
plug  and  stay  there.  Here  in  the 


A  HANDY  SWIVEL-SNAP 

BY  LEE  STIBBE 

The  wire  shank  and  swivel 
taken  from  an  old  spoon  makes 
an  excellent  snap  for  fastening 
baits  on  a  bait-casting  line.  Re- 
move the  hooks,  spoon  and  beads, 
leaving  only  the  wire  with  the 
swivel  at  one  end.  Fasten  the 
line  to  the  swivel.  The  loop  at 


the  other  end  of  the  wire  forms 
a  perfect  snap  for  taking  off  and 
putting  on  bait.  This  rig  has 
the  special  advantage  that  the 
swivel  prevents  the  line  from  be- 
coming fwisted.  The  spoon  may 
be  left  on  the  shank  at  times  to 
make  the  bait  more  killing. 


A   NEAT  TRICK 

BY  JOHN  M.  SMITH 
After  casting  along  the  edge  of 
the  weeds  from  a  boat  I  found 
that  for  some  reason  I  could  not 
catch  fish,  although  I  had  a  num- 
ber of  strikes.  So  a  thought  came 
to  me.  I  fitted  out  a  hand  line 
and  fastened  it  to  a  20-foot  cane 
rod,  used  both  live  minnows  and 
grasshoppers  for  bait.  After  bait- 
ing the  line  I  laid  it  in  the  boat 
and  went  on  casting.  When  I  had 
another  strike  I  did  not  make  a 
second  cast  for  the  fish,  but 


162 


KINKS    OF    ALL    KINDS 


dropped  the  bait,  which  was 
fastened  to  the  cane  rod,  as  near 
the  spot  where  the  fish  struck  as 
possible,  and  in  a  short  time  I 
had  landed  a  good  bass. 


ROD   SPLICING 

BY  H.  J.  BLACKLIDGE 
Having  never  seen  directions 
for  splicing  a  broken  rod  in 
Outer's  Book,  I  will  give  my 
method  for  the  "Kink  Korner." 
"A"  shows  the  broken  ends,  "B" 
the  way  they  should  be  whittled 
down  to  a  long  level.  In  my 
pocket  tool  kit  I  carry  an  eight- 
inch,  fine-tooth  wood  rasp.  With 
this  I  smooth  the  irregularities 
left  by  the  pocket  knife  until  the 
two  long  bevels  fit  perfectly  when 
placed  together.  Then  they  are 
covered  with  a  thin  layer  of  shoe- 
maker's wax,  and  pressed  tightly 
together. 

Next    they    are    wrapped    with 
well  waxed  silk.     Let  the  end  lie 


along  the  rod  and  wrap  over  it 
a  dozen  turns  in  beginning.  Wrap 
carefully  —  conscientiously —  until 
you  have  gone  beyond  the  ends 


of  the  beveled  part.  Then  to  tie 
an  invisible  knot  proceed  as  shown 
in  the  last  sketch.  Make  four  or 
five  loose  loops  just  as  shown  and 
pass  the  end  under  last  lap  of  the 
winding.  Now,  as  you  go  on 
winding,  the  loose  loops  you  have 
just  made  will  unwind.  When 
they  are  all  unwound,  pull  the 
end  through  and  cut  it  off  close 
up  and — go  on  fishing.  Of  course, 
your  rod  will  be  a  little  lighter 
and  a  little  stiff er  than  before, 
but  that  is  better  than  quitting, 
isn't  it? 

It  is  well  also  to  have  a  little 
bottle  of  shellac  along  with  you 
and  give  the  splice  a  coat  of  it. 
The  shellac  will  dry  while  you  are 
smoking  one  pipe — if  not  sooner. 


THE    TROLLING    LINE 
SPRING 

BY  W.  J.  FULLER 
Here  is  a  Kink  that  is  the  re- 
sult of  sad  experience.  While 
trolling  one  day,  the  long  looked 
for  "big  one"  hit  my  bait  and  im- 
mediately broke  the  line  with  his 
first  heavy  lunge.  I  thought  the 
matter  over  on  my  way  to  town, 
and  went  to  a  hardware  store  and 
bought  an  ordinary  coil  spring, 
such  as  is  used  on  screen  doors. 
One  end  of  this  I  hooked  to  a 
screw  eye  in  the  rowing  seat  at 
my  right  hand.  At  the  other  end 
I  fastened  my  trolling  line.  In 
the  stern  of  the  boat  I  placed  a 
yoke  or  fork  through  which  the 
line  ran  out.  An  extra  oar  lock 
can  be  used  for  this  purpose. 


KINKS    OF   ALL    KINDS 


163 


For  those  who  like  to  go  troll- 
ing alone,  this  Kink  will  be  very 
useful,  as  the  spring  does  away 
with  all  chances  of  your  line  be- 


ing broken  by  the  strike  of  a  big 
fish  or  by  being  snagged. 


A  SIMPLE  LINE  DRYER 

BY  GEO.  C.  WHITNEY 
A  very  simple  line  dryer  kink 
is  to  pull  the  line  off  the  reel  or 
spool  into  a  pile  or  heap,  just  as 
it  piles  naturally  on  the  floor, 
chair,  table  or  dresser.  Leave  the 
end  lying  to  one  side  so  as  to  be 
easily  found  when  dry.  No  fold- 
ing contrivances  or  rusty  nails 
whatever  to  bother  with  and  al- 
ways some  place  handy.  When 
dry  run  top  end  through  rod,  fas- 
ten to  reel  and  wind  up.  Simple 
as  rolling  off  a  log  and  no  "kink" 
either. 

A  very  handy  back-lash  tool, 
and  I  believe  an  improvement  on 
Brother  Field's,  smaller,  lighter 
and  neater,  is  a  woman's  crochet 
needle,  size  No.  6. 


AN 


PERCH 


EXCELLENT 
BAIT 

BY  N.  D.  HAGER 
By    following    these    directions 

you    can    make    a   bait   that    will 

catch  from  one  to  a  dozen  perch 

before  giving  out. 
We  will  assume  that  you  have 

already  caught  a  perch,  that  being 


necessary  in  order  to  make  the 
bait. 

Cut  a  section  out  of  the  top 
edge  of  the  tail  of  the  perch, 
about  one-half  inch  thick  and  one 
and  one-half  inches  long  (see 
Fig.  1). 

You  will  then  have  a  piece 
shaped  like  Fig.  2. 


Put  this  on  hook  by  running 
hook  through,  as  shown  in  Fig. 
3,  and  your  bait  is  ready. 

You  will  find  that  perch  will 
bite  on  this  bait  quicker  than  on 
a  minnow. 

Good  luck  to  all  who  try  it. 


FLOATING    THE    TROUT 
BAIT 

BY  THOMAS  J.  LUTTON 

On  small  and  very  brushy 
streams,  where  one  must  fish  for 
trout  with  bait  if  at  all,  a  float 
or  "bobber"  is  usually  considered 
more  of  nuisance  than  a  help. 
And  indeed  this  is  so  over  many 
parts  of  the  stream.  Many  ang- 
lers, as  a  result  of  this,  forget 


164 


KINKS    OF    ALL    KINDS 


entirely  that  there  is  such  a  de- 
vice and  that  it  may  possibly  be  of 
use  to  them  sometimes. 

But  there  is  a  time  and  a  place 
for  everything  and  the  float  has 
a  most  decided  place  on  this  kind 
of  a  stream.  Often  you  come 
to  beautiful  little  holes,  but  so 
brush  covered  and  with  such  a 
slow  current  that  it  seems  impos- 
sible to  get  your  bait  down  into 
them.  Here  is  where  the  float 
comes  in.  I  always  carry  a  good 
split  cork,  but  a  small  branch  or 
chip  will  do  nearly  as  well.  Fasten 
this  on  the  line  so  that  it  will 
carry  your  bait  just  above  the 
bottom.  Then  flip  it  into  the 
water  and  watch  it  slowly  carry 
your  bait  to  the  exact  spot  you 
want  to  reach.  And  it  gets  the 
fish,  too,  fish  that  you  could  not 
possibly  connect  with  in  any  other 
way. 


BEADS  FOR  SALMON 
EGGS 

BY  E.  S.  BROOKS 

It  is  unlawful  to  use  salmon 
eggs  for  bait  in  Oregon,  but  there 
is  nothing  said  about  amber  beads. 
So  I  take  a  small  vial,  fiill  it  with 


small  amber  beads  the  size  of 
salmon  eggs,  put  in  some  water 
and  cork  it  up.  I  attach  my 
triple  hook  with  a  small  rubber 


band  around  one  hook,  tasten  it 
to  the  neck  of  the  vial  with  a  few 
turns  of  a  fine  fish  line,  and  there 
you  are. 

It  works  equally  well  with  a 
good,  fat  grasshopper  or  gram- 
pus, but  in  that  case  I  do  not  put 
any  water  in  the  vial,  as  they  are 
surface  baits.  The  glass  being  in- 
visible in  the  water,  the  redsides 
go  for  the  bait  to  beat  three  of 
a  kind. 


A  LITTLE  TIME  SAVER 

BY  F.  H.  BOHN 

When  fishing  for  trout  or  other 
small  fish  one  wastes  considerable 
time  and  a  good  deal  of  patience 
while  taking  them  off  the  hook.  I 
have  found  that  it  pays  well  to 
kill  them  before  taking  them  off. 
Just  slip  the  thumb  under  the  gill 
on  one  side  and  the  forefinger 
on  the  other,  and  give  a  quick, 
hard  squeeze  with  the  nails,  where 
the  head  and  body  connect.  The 
fish  is  killed  instantly  and  will 
not  bother  you  by  kicking  and 
flopping  while  you  are  extracting 
the  hook.  I  have  found  also  that 
fish  killed  as  soon  as  caught  keep 
much  longer  and  better  than  if 
they  are  allowed  to  die  a  linger- 
ing death  in  the  basket  or  on  a 
stringer. 


A  HANDY  ROD  HANGER 

BY  GEORGE  H.  SACKETT 

Having  had  trouble  in  hanging 
up  my  Heddon  $1.50  rod  (in 
order  to  straighten  it),  I  devised 
the  arrangement  described  here- 


KINKS    OF   ALL    KINDS 


165 


with,  which  holds  it  straight  and 
does  it  almost  anywhere.  The 
material  is  a  piece  of  heavy  gauge 
copper  wire  about  seven  inches 
long;  this  is  doubled  back  on  it- 
self (Fig.  1).  It  is  then  twisted 


ROD  HANGER.      NOTICE 
ANGLE   AT  "A." 


for  about  two-thirds  its  length,  as 
shown  in  Fig.  2.  It  is  then  bent, 
as  in  Fig.  3,  which  shows  finished 
holder  with  rod  in  place.  The 
angle  at  A  (Fig.  3)  should  be 
the  same  as  the  angle  of  the  top, 
so  that  same  will  not  turn.  Now, 
it  is  finished.  Slide  the  tip  in  the 
opening  (shown  in  Fig.  2  at  B)> 
and  hang  it  up  by  a  ring  from  the 
ceiling  or  anything  that  the  top  of 
the  holder  will  slip  over. 


A  CARP  BAIT 

BY  Louis  E.  MYERS 
This  is  a  "carp"  bait  kink  of 
mine  where  I  cannot  catch  any- 
thing else.  To  one  pint  of  corn- 
meal  mix  one-half  pint  of  flour 
and  work  until  you  can  hold  by 
small  pieces  and  it  will  spring  up 
and  down.  Make  into  balls  about 
the  size  of  small  marbles.  Drop 
in  bunch  of  fishworms  about  the 
size  of  a  walnut  and  also  mix 
some  sweet  anise  roots  if  you  can 


get  them,  as  it  has  such  a  sweet 
savor  that  if  the  carp  come  within 
2  feet  they  will  sure  jump  for  this 
bait.  Put  the  dough  balls  in  hot 
water  and  cook  about  ten  minutes, 
or  until  they  will  float.  The  balls 
will  then  be  firm  and  slick.  The 
sweet  anise  roots  can  be  found 
along  the  sides  of  creeks  or  bluffs. 
This  bait  will  get  the  carp  if  you 
want  them.  Try  it,  brothers. 


OILING   FERRULES 

BY  SHERWOOD  BUCKSTAFF 
Most  anglers  clean  and  oil  their 
steel  rods  several  times  a  year,  but 
a  bamboo  rod  does  not  require 
such  attention,  and  most  anglers 
do  not  take  the  bother  to  oil  the 
ferrules  regularly,  often  neglect- 
ing them  for  a  whole  trip.  Con- 
sequently the  joints  stick  annoy- 
ingly,  and  sometimes  cause  seri- 
ous trouble,  since  if  one  attempts 
to  loosen  them  by  heating  he  runs 
the  risk  of  melting  or  loosening 
the  ferrule  cement.  I  always 
carry  with  me  a  small  piece  of 
flannel  which  has  been  soaked  in 
oil  and  squeezed  as  dry  as  possi- 
ble. This  does  not  make  the 
pocket  oily  —  indeed,  one  can 
hardly  tell  by  feeling  of  it  that  it 
is  oily — but  it  will  oil  a  rod  very 
nicely  and  keep  it  in  perfect  con- 
dition. Moreover,  it  will  keep 
oily  almost  indefinitely.  I  picked 
mine  up  this  winter  when  it  had 
not  been  fixed  since  summer,  and 
found  it  as  good  as  ever.  Try  it 
and  see.  It  may  be  a  lifesaver 
some  time. 


166 


KINKS    OF    ALL    KINDS 


WHEN   THEY    STEAL   THE 
BAIT 

BY  CARROLL  CRANK 

While  out  fishing  last  fall  I  had 
the  fortune,  or  misfortune,  as  you 
choose  to  call  it,  to  find  a  place 
where  the  fish  were  well  educated 
along  the  lines  of  bait  stealing. 

After  my  supply  of  minnows 
was  nearly  exhausted  it  occurred 
to  me  to  change  baits.  But  min- 
nows were  all  I  had,  so  I  had  to 
manufacture  some. 

I  took  a  piece  of  white  cotton 
wrapping  cord  from  my  pocket, 
doubled  it  several  times,  and  tied 
a  knot  in  the  middle  of  it  and 
hooked  my  hook  through  the 
knot.  I  then  picked  the  ends 
apart  till  it  was  quite  bushy.  Then 
it  was  ready  for  the  water. 

I  caught  more  fish  in  the  next 
hour  on  that  one  bait  than  I  had 
in  the  three  hours  previous,  due 
to  the  fact  that  the  fish  could  not 
steal  my  bait. 


Of  course,  this  bait  would  not 
be  practical  for  still  fishing,  yet  it 
will  work  to  perfection  while 
trolling. 


KEEPING  CRAWFISH 

FRESH 
BY  J.  C.  ATHEY 

While  contemplating  an  ex- 
tended fishing  trip  the  keeping  of 
crawfish  came  up.  Having  taken 
them  alive  several  times  without 
success,  decided  on  the  following 
method : 

Get  about  one  bushel  of  nice, 
large  craws.  Peel  the  tails  while 
alive;  put  in  a  Mason  jar  and  seal 
tightly.  Place  in  your  refriger- 
ator and  keep  ice  cold.  On  go- 
ing out  set  jar  in  minnow  bucket 
filled  with  crushed  ice  and  bait 
will  keep  as  fresh  as  when  peeled. 

If  ice  is  not  to  be  had,  peel 
craws,  put  in  water  and  bring  to  a 
boil,  which  will  toughen  and  pre- 
serve them  very  satisfactorily. 


THE  KINK  WE'RE  LOOKING  FOR 

BY    S.   W.   EVERETT 


Gosh  all  fish-hooks,  Jake, 

These  yere  kinks   are   some  sur- 

prisin' ! 

Orter  ketch  a  fish 
If  they're  only  half  a  risin'. 


Yep,  says  I,  they  do  seem  fair, 
Yet  I'm  leetle  short  o'dubious; 
Ef  you'd  a  had  my  luck 
You  wouldn't  be  so  solubrious. 


Fer  the  kind  o'  kinks  I'm  lookin'  fer — 
Just   mark  yer   Uncle   Benny — 
Is   how   ter   ketch   a   fish   in  this  yer  creek 
When  yer  know  there  isn't  any. 


CONTENTS 


Alcohol   Blow   Lamp,   The 75 

Alder  Bait,  The  104 

Antproof  Bread  Box,  An 28 

Another  Pork  Rind  Stunt 127 

Another  Porker 86 

Another  Sliding  Float 68 

Backlash  Tool,  A 103 

Bait  Belt,  A 121 

Bait  Improvement,  A   76 

Bait  with  an  Overcoat,  The 74 

Bamboo  Rod  Case,  A 94 

Barbecue  Fork,  A 67 

Beads  for  Salmon  Eggs • 164 

Bee   Stings,   For 82 

Bluegill  Tip-Up,  The 43 

Boat   Cushion,   A 143 

Bobber  Wobbler,   A 76 

Bottle  Cap  Fish  Scales,  The 134 

Brightening  the  Phantom 25 

Broken  Ring  Guide,  A Ill 

Camera   Kink,   A 52 

Camp  Candlestick,  A 35 

Camp  Refrigerator,  A 82 

Camp  Knife,  A 24 

Canoe  Shelter  Tent,  The 46 

Carp   Bait,   A 165 

Carry-All  Bag,  A  158 

Carrying   Creel  or   Canteen 19 

Carrying  Spoons,  For 159 

Cartridge  Belts 41 

Casting  the  Loop  Kink 148 

Catching  Catfish  on  Wilson  Wobblers .161 

Chicken  Neck  Bait,  The 101 

Cigar  Box  Tackle  Carrier,  My 56 

Clothes  Hook  Rod  Hanger,  The ' 102 

Clothespin  Plug,  A   60 

Collapsible  Landing  Net,  A 52 

Compact  Outfit,  A 62 

Corn  for  Carp 59 

Cotter  Pin  Emergency  Top,  The 142 

167 


168  CONTENTS 

Craw-Fish  and  Candy 120 

Creel  Cover  Bait  Box 114 

Creel  Cover  Fly  Book,  The  92 

Cricket   "Farm,"  A 134 

Deep  Water  Troller 17 

Doctoring  the  Leader 8 

Dried  Houseflies   for  Bait 102 

Driving  Stakes   14 

Driving  Splitting  Stakes 44 

Doubling  Up  the  Stopple  Kit 64 

Duck  Kink,  A  7 

Earning  Their  Way 34 

Easily  Made  Live  Box,  An 81 

Emergency  Anchor,  An 89 

Emergency  Foot  Rest,  An 12 

Emergency  Kit,  The 30 

Emergency  Leader,  An 141 

Emergency  Match  Supply,  The 77 

Emergency  Weedless,  An 103 

Excellent  Crappie  Bait,  An 145 

Excellent  Float  for  Live  Bait,  An 78 

Excellent  Perch  Bait,  An 160 

Excellent  Perch  Bait,  An 163 

Extemporizing  a  Casting  Rod 138 

Eyed  Fly  Box,  An 131 

Fancy  Sitch,  A 70 

Finger  Ring  Spooler,  The   61 

Fire  Jack,  A 8 

Fish  Bag,  A 82 

Fisherman's  War  Belt,  A 33 

Fishing  from  the  Bank 26 

Fish    Kite,   The 146 

Fish   Saver,  A 125 

Fish  Sealer  and  Knife 46 

Fixing  Mad  Toms  for  Bait 155 

Flexible  Gaff,  A 17 

Float  Kink,  A 157 

Floating  Live   Bait,    For 118 

Floating  the   Trout   Bait 163 

'Folding  Line  Dryer 93 

Fooling  the  Small  Mouths  39 

Freeing  the  Leader    159 

Freeing  the  Line    21 

Frog   Saver,  A 102 


CONTENTS  169 

Gangs  Can't  Twist  Out 10 

Gathering  Information 89 

Getting  Them  Off  the  Hook 63 

Gillette  Users,  For 83 

Going  Light  153 

Good  Carrying  Case,  A 90 

Good  Flare,   A .' 21 

Good  Frog  Hook,  A  . 78 

Good  Hook  Tie,  A 29 

Good  Sinker  for  Trout  Fishing,  A 136 

Good  Spinner  Rig,  A 144 

Greasing  Decoys  79 

Handy  Berry  Pickers'  Can,  A 58 

Handy  Can-Handle  Kink,  A 26 

Handy  Cleaner  for  the  .22 f 159 

Handy  Game  Carrier  73 

Handy  Hook  Holder,  A 49 

Handy  Minnow  Set,  A 135 

Handy  Rod  Hanger,  A 164 

Handy  Swivel-Snap,    A 161 

Helgramite  Can,  A T 72 

Helgramite  Harness  De  Luxe,  A 96 

Hinge  Fire  Rack,  A 13 

Holding  'Em  Down 129 

Home-Made  Attractor,  A 144 

Home-Made  Bait  Socket  71 

Home-Made  Camp  Stove,  A 23 

Home-made  Enamel  for  the  Plug 108 

Home-made  Folding  Net,  A 31 

Home-Made  Rod  Tip,  A 47 

Home-Made  Tackle  Box,  My 40 

Hook  Disgorger,  A 106 

Hook  They  Can't  Swallow,  A 11 

Hooking  Your  Fish 50 

Hot  Biscuits  to  Order 43 

Ice  Creepers 54 

Improved  Oar  Lock  Fastening 61 

Improving  the   Frying  Pan 55 

Improving  the  Model  1914  Savage  .22 35 

Improving  the  Minnow  Can 7 

Improving  Tube  Tips 12 

Improvised  Tandem,  An 10 

Indexing   Kinks    25 

Ingenious   Tackle   Box,  An 38 

It  Got  a  Big  One 138 


170  CONTENTS 

Just  Adhesive  Plaster 85 

Keep  Your  Hopper  Alive 12 

Keeping  Agate  Tip  from  Chipping  or  Breaking 72 

Keeping   Crawfish   Fresh 166 

Keeping  Eyed   Flies    70 

Keeping  Minnows  Alive   65 

Kink  of  Kinks,  The 137 

Kink  on  Fish  Transportation,  A 154 

Kink  Pole  Holder,  A 98 

Kink  Spreader,  A   150 

Kink  That  Saved  the  Day,  A 109 

Kink  We're  Looking  For,  The-. 166 

Kinky  Line,  A 149 

Knife  Sheath  Kink,  A 89 

Knocked-down  Fire  Grate,  A 29 

Leaders  from  Hook  Snells 143 

Left-Handed  Casting  Reel,  A 77 

Lighting   Fire   with   Water 106 

Line-Drying  Device  '. 20 

Little  Time  Saver,  A 164 

Live  Bait  Carrier,  A 57 

Live  Bait  Wisdom   151 

Live  Trout  When  You  Want  Them 127 

Loop  Winding  Pull,  The 79 

Macaroni  for  Bait  160 

Makes  for  Accurate  Statements 80 

Make  Your  Reel  Self  Striking 9 

Making  Your  Line  Waterproof 157 

Making  a  Rod 24 

Measuring  by  the  Rod 99 

Minnow  Bucket  Trick,  A 35 

Minnow  Trap,  A    . . . .' 100 

More  Bream  Fishing 62 

Motor   Hinge,   A 49 

Mounting  Leaders   Simply 42 

Natural  Bait  Wobbler,  The 129 

Natural  Pothook,  The 13 

Neat  Trick,  A 161 

Needles  and  Thread  86 

Netting  and  String 117 

Noble  Use  for  the  Cockroach,  A 140 

Nothin'  But  Glue 133 


CONTENTS  171 

Oiling  Ferrules 165 

Outdoor  Stove,  An 34 

Overall  Pack,  The - 50 

Packing  Plugs  128 

Palouser,  The   22 

Partnership  Kink,  A 147 

Permanent  Reel  Filling,  A 123 

Pickerel  Throat  Bait,  The 13 

Pick-up   Kink,  A 122 

Pig  Tails  for  Bass 126 

Plug  Carrier,  A 80 

Pork  Rind  Frog,  The 154 

Quick  Colors  for  Baits   26 

Quick  Untying  Knot,   A 113 

Rapid  Fire  Fish  Cleaning   69 

Raw  Onion  Poultice  for  Snakebite 86 

"Real"  Oil  for  Reels,  A 85 

Removing  a  Ferrule 100 

Repairing  Steel  Rods 66 

Rest  Your  Bones  146 

Rod  Case  and  Tripod 131 

Rod  Splicing   162 

Rod  Winding  with  a  Needle 156 

Rubber  Tape  Kink,  A 74 

Safeguarding  the  Reel 14 

Safety-First  Belt,  A 67 

Saving  Snagged  Baits    126 

Self-Pulled  Winding  Knot,  The 71 

Self-Striking  Hook,  A 66 

Setting  Your  Watch  by  Compass 74 

Shingle   Creel,   A 58 

Shoe-Eyelet   Agate,    The 130 

Shooting  Our  Obstructions    50 

Shotgun  Cleaner,  A 90 

Shrimp  Bait  in  Fresh  Water 132 

Simple  Hook  Remover,  A 28 

Simple  Knot,  A 11 

Simple  Line  Dryer,  A 163 

Simple  Rod  Holder,  A 23 

Skinning  the  Cat  152 

Slide  Float  Arrangement,  A 48 

Sliding  Float  for  Bait  Casters,  The 122 

Snapping  Your  Own  Picture 55 


172  CONTENTS 

Snelled  Hook  Carrier,  A 83 

Splicing  a  Break  in  a  Bamboo  Rod 64 

Spoon  Float,  A 17 

Spoon  Minnow  Bait,  A 107 

Squirrel   Tail   Bait,   The 9 

Steel  Ring^Guides  59 

Sure  Hooking  Fly,  A 153 

Take-Down  Line  Dryer,  A 51 

Tape  for  Reel  Seats 130 

Temporary  Minnow   Net,  A 15 

Three  Handy  Ones  95 

Three  Kinks   from  One  Kinker 90 

Three  Practical   Suggestions 139 

Tight  Holster,  The 103 

Tin  Can  Outfit,  A 44 

Tin  Can  Range  Phone,  The 87 

To  Get  the  Frogs 53 

To  the  Bait  Caster  and  Duck  Hunter 116 

Trolling  for  Calicoes 124 

Trolling  from  a  Canoe 37 

Trolling  Line  Spring,  The 162 

Trolly  Fisherman,  For 32 

Trot-Line   Kink,   A 142 

Turtle  Trap,  A 84 

Twig  Cup  Handle,  A 54 

Twist  Preventer,  A 36 

Two  Old  Friends  84 

Unhooking  the  Bullhead 81 

Useful  Safety  Pin,  The 60 

Watch  Spring  Weed  Guards 28 

Waterproof  Match  Safe,  A 76 

Waxing  Silk  Threads  for  Rod  Winding 136 

When  the  Stream  Got  Roily 32 

When  They  Steal  the  Bait 166 

Wire  Game  Carrier,  A 85 

Worm  Weed  Guard,  The Ill 


SUPPLEMENTAL  INDEX 


Because  of  the  impossibility  of  making  a  satisfactory  classification  of 
the  contents  of  the  Kink  Book,  the  publishers  realize  that  the  foregoing 
index  is  not  as  helpful  as  it  should  be.  Doubtless  every  reader  will  find 
kinks  to  which  he  will  want  to  refer  frequently,  and  for  his  convenience 
the  following  pages  are  provided  so  that  he  may  make  his  own  index  of 
favorite  kinks. 

Title  Page 


173 


174  SUPPLEMENTAL  INDEX 

Title  Page 


SUPPLEMENTAL  INDEX  175 

Title  Page 


EVERY  purchaser  of  "Kinks"  should  be 
a  regular  reader  of  OUTER'S  BOOK 
—the  magazine  with  the  camp-fire  flavor. 
Besides  the  regular  Kink  Department  appear- 
ing in  each  issue,  the  OUTER'S  BOOK 
publishes  a  vast  amount  of  practical  in- 
formation for  the  hunter,  angler  and  camper. 
If  you  want  expert  advice  on  guns,  rods, 
reels  or  any  piece  of  sporting  paraphernalia, 
you  are  privileged  to  consult  our  several 
editors,  who  will  be  pleased  to  serve  you. 

Buy  a  copy  today  and  get  acquainted  with 
the  litest  sportsman  s  magazine  published. 

Ask  your  news  dealer. 

OUTER'S  BOOK 

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Renewed  books  are  subject  to  immediate  recall. 


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